Everardus Bogardus was the second Reformed minister of New Amsterdam (present-day New York). He was both a minister among the Europeans, the Native Americans, and the West-Africans in the settlement, a spokesman of the opposition during ‘Kieft’s War’, and a colonist married to the famous Anneke Jans. In the eyes of his descendant Peter Bogardus, a modern New Yorker, he was most notable for his openness and ability to relate to other cultures.
Before arriving in New Amsterdam in 1633, The Dutch minister had served as a ‘ziekentrooster’ (comforter of the sick) on the Guinea coast. While there, he developed a concern for the spiritual condition of Africans that carried over into his dealings with New Amsterdam’s West Africans. In 1636, Bogardus pleaded for a schoolmaster to be sent from Holland. As New Amsterdam’s minister, he routinely married African men and women and baptized their children, and made a great effort to welcome Africans into New Amsterdam’s Reformed Protestant Church.
For Peter Bogardus, an artist living in Chelsea, NY, it means a great deal to be a descendant of Everardus. ‘He reminds me of me. Everardus went into the world, and took the difficult road.’ Peter comes from a family of bankers and grew up on the Upper East Side. 'If I had chosen the beaten path, I would have followed in my father's footsteps and be a banker now. But I chose differently’, Peter says. He sits in his serene Chelsea studio, overlooking New York City. Pieces of paper are dangling from the ceiling. In the corner of the room stands a massive printing press. Bogardus shows his artwork, handmade books filled with steel prints from photographs he made on his many voyages to Africa.
His father, now retired, often helps him with the printing process. A while ago they started reading about their ancestor Everardus Bogardus, whose story Peter feels closely resembles his own. ‘I was so surprised when I learned he went to Africa, and found inspiration there, as did I. It also struck me that he was so open-minded’, Peter says. ‘Unlike most people in those days, he didn’t keep a distance from the Africans in New Amsterdam. He was able to relate to people from different backgrounds.’
Everardus Bogardus was a controversial figure in more than one way. He was at odds with one of the settlement's first leaders, Willem Kieft. Bogardus denounced Kieft from his pulpit due to Kieft's decisions to initiate wars with the local Indians. Also, the minister’s portrayals often revolve around his heavy drinking, as is the case in Russell Shorto’s The Island at the Center of the World. ‘Shorto dissed my ancestor!’, Peter Bogardus laughs. ‘I’m not going to defend Everardus though; I’d rather choose to focus on the things I admire in him.’
Bogardus was sent to Holland in August 1647 by Peter Stuyvesant along with Willem Kieft and other men who had tangled with Kieft in the New Amsterdam colony. They were supposed to return to the home office of the Dutch West Indies Company to have a hearing on the disputes that arose between them and Kieft. They never arrived, however. The ship, the Princess Amelia, sunk in September 1647 when its captain made a mistake and ran the ship aground. Eighty-six of the one hundred seven people on board died, including Bogardus and Kieft.
The story of Everardus and Peter Bogardus is part of ‘New York Connection’, the four part documentary series produced by IDTV Docs for AVRO Dutch Public Television. The documentary series will tell the story of New Amsterdam in the 17th century and how and if we can still see traces of that era in the city of New York in 2009. The documentary series is inspired by Russell Shorto’s book The Island at the Center of the World and Charles Gehring’s translations of the 17th century records of New Netherlands. The series not only portray the history of New Amsterdam, but also the City of New York in 2009 and investigate if there is anything left from the spirit of the Dutch. The series is directed by Roel van Dalen and hosted by Dutch writer Dirk van Weelden and will premiere on September 20th on Dutch television. Click here for more information about the documentary series (in Dutch).
Please wait ...
