dinsdag 31 januari 2012

Taphophile Tragics # 6

I continue with the graves in the Old Church in Amsterdam of my previous post .
This well decorated grave is of a prominent person of his time. The text  I will try to translate, it is "old dutch"
Under this stone rests
Petrus van Dam
in his 85 years was
Lawyer of the General
East-India Company
54 years had
marriage first with Lidia van Segwaer
afterwards with
Anna Hasselaer
passed away
17 May 1706

So this man reached a respectable age of 85 years in 1706 and was married twice. It was a time of much prosperity and wealth in the Netherlands just after, which is know as "the Golden Century". Many ships sailed to the East for trading the products of Indonesia and sell them here to other countries. They colonialised Indonesia which made the dutch very rich and the many beautiful canal houses date from that time.

This is my tribute to Taphophile Tragics

14 opmerkingen:

  1. That is a good age for those days. I remember learning about the dutch navigators and sailors and the Dutch East Indies at school.

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  2. Sounds like he has full and long life..Interesting...Janey

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  3. Beautifully carved! 85 years four centuries ago was quite something.

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  4. One thing I love so much about Europe is the way you can see this very old history in so many places. This is really a wonderful and beautiful stone. Thanks for the translation!

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  5. His immense wealth may have helped prolong his life to 85 years.

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  6. Weet je, ik heb geen idee wat taphophile betekent. IK vind de gedenksteen heel mooi, hij heeft een lang leven achter de rug.
    Lieve groet van Riet

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  7. Great photo, which brings back happy memories of when I was living in Amsterdam!
    Groeten uit Australië!

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  8. Its so interesting to see the differences from country to country.

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  9. somehow i always think people only married once long ago... but i guess it was possible because it was easier to die back then... (oh, creepy!)

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  10. A respectable age, and a fancy grave. I'm sure it took a bit of work to create.

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  11. CaT,
    Yes people died very young of all kind of deseases and married several times.

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  12. Women especially died young, and often in childbirth.

    The surname 'Van Dam', Marianne, was that commemorated in the name of a street or a city square. Is there a Dam Square? Something is ringing in my memory that says so.

    From what you are saying, I am thinking that yes, indeed, the body of each person is under the stone in the floor of the church. Certainly the stone is well burnished from the tread of shoes over the centuries. And the relief is gradually, slowly, very slowly being worn down.

    Thank you for translating for us. Dutch history is so central to the colonising of the world. And yet it is such a small country today.

    Thank you for continuing to join with us doing Taphophile Tragics.

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  13. Beautiful tomb. What gorgeous carving and still so well intact after 300 years.

    Nice shot.

    Darryl and Ruth :)

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  14. Meant to come back here to tell you that the church I visited in the Netherlands in 2001 which had grave-markers in the floor was Dom Kirk in Utrecht.

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