Dirck Jansz Graeff

Dirck Jansz Graeff
Regent and Mayor of Amsterdam
In office 1578–1579
Personal details
Born	1532 Amsterdam
Died	27 July 1589 Amsterdam
Nationality	Dutch
Political party	States Faction
Spouse(s)	1) Agnies Pietresdr van Neck 2) Jan Claes Cat
Relations	Admiral Jacob Cornelisz van Neck (distant cousin via Agnies Pietersdr van Neck)
Children	Weyntje, Jan (or Johan), Jacob, Pieter, Cornelis
Residence(s)	House De Keyser on the Damrak in Amsterdam, country estates Valckeveen near Gooiland, Vredenhof near Voorschoten
Occupation	burgomaster
Profession	Wholesaler and ship-owner

Dirck Jansz Graeff, also Diederik Jansz Graeff, Lord of the manors Valckeveen and Vredenhof (Amsterdam 1532^[1] – 27 July 1589), was a patrician, wholesaler, shipowner, politician and large landowner. He became an important figure of the Protestant Reformation, member of the Reformed Church, supporter of the Geuzen and the Protestant-minded community of wholesale merchants, and a confidant of William I of Orange (William the Silent).^[2] Graeff was the founder of a regent dynasty of the Dutch Golden Age^[3] and the short time of the First Stadtholderless Period that retained power and influence for centuries and produced a number of ministers. He was the first Burgomaster of Amsterdam from the De Graeff family.^[4]