Nicolaes Witsen

Who was Nicolaes Witsen?

Nicolaas or Nicolaes Witsen was a Dutch statesman who was mayor of Amsterdam thirteen times, between 1682-1706. In 1693 he became administrator of the VOC. In 1689 he was extraordinary-ambassador to the English court, and became Fellow of the Royal Society. In his free time he was cartographer, maritime writer, and an authority on shipbuilding. His books on the subject are important sources on Dutch shipbuilding in the 17th century. Furthermore, he was an expert on Russian affairs. He was the first to describe Siberia, Far East and Central Asia in his study Noord en Oost Tartarye [North and East Tartary].