The Man Who Replaced Van Riebeeck

Описание: Please consider supporting my history research here: https://buymeacoffee.com/drphilip

Series: Lost History Files

Mini-series: Lost South Africa Files

Episode 6: The Man Who Replaced Van Riebeeck

Hello, I’m Dr. Philip, and welcome to Lost History Files, a channel dedicated to shining a light on forgotten, neglected, and lesser-known episodes in history.

In this sixth episode of our mini-series on South Africa, we continue our exploration of European colonisation at the Cape, examining the life and career of the successor to the first commander, Jan van Riebeeck, when Van Riebeeck sailed to Batavia after ten years in charge. Zacharias Wagenaer, at the helm for over four years, receives little credit for the development of colony, but his record suggests that this is an injustice.

If you enjoy this episode, please like, subscribe, and click the notification bell, selecting ‘All’ to stay updated on all new uploads. I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below, including ideas for future episodes. Let’s keep the conversation going!

The music in this episode is Gabrieli: Sonata Per Tromba In Re Magg Largo - Michel Cuvit: collegium academicum de geneve. Sourced from Internet Archive (Public Domain Mark 1.0). Segments selected and gently faded out.

Viewers have asked about sources. For events during Wagenaer's time as commander, I drew on the writings of George McCall Theal, the renowned South African historian of the 19th and early 20th centuries. Some of Theal’s perspectives on colonialism are of their time, but there’s no denying the rigour of his research, particularly his deep dives into the Cape’s primary records. More importantly, his vivid and engaging narrative style helps bring these complex stories to life. I have checked the facts in his account where possible; any remaining errors are mine.

For biographical details on Wagenaer, a good starting point is the Wikipedia entry, which includes some of his paintings. Unfortunately I didn’t have access to the (as far as I know) only major published biography: Kees Zandvliet, The Dutch East India Company in the 17th century: life and work of Zacharias Wagenaer (1614–1668) (Nagasaki, 1987).