Joachim van Plettenberg
Baron Joachim van Plettenberg Ammena ( born March 8, 1739 Leeuwarden, The Netherlands, † August 18, 1793 at home Windesheim in Zwolle, Netherlands) was governor of the Cape Colony from the August 11, 1771 to 14 February in 1785.
Life
Plettenberg came from the Westphalian Uradelsgeschlecht of Plettenberg. His parents were Henrik Casimir van Plettenberg, a colonel in the Orange garrison in Leeuwarden and Agatha Petronella van Ammena. After studying law at the University of Utrecht, he left the country in 1764 and was for two years a member of the Council of Justice in Batavia ( now Jakarta, Indonesia). 1767, at the age of 28, he was appointed to the highest judicial officers (Independent - Fiscaal ) from Cape Town. After the death of Governor Ryk Tulbagh (or Tulbach ) he took over on August 11, 1771 provisionally whose official duties and was confirmed on May 18, 1774 in the Office of the Governor. In the strongly influenced by France Patriotiebewegung ( Patriotte beweging ) grew him a strong opponent. Citizen petitions from 1779 and 1782 show to the Council of Seventeen and from 1784 to the States-General in the mother country to the difficulties and problems of the colonists toward which they had with the management of their governor. In 1781 he sent to request a detailed written defense to Holland to face the charges. In 1785 he submitted his resignation and was " honorably " discharged. On 14 February 1785, he resigned and returned to the Netherlands at Huis Windesheim near Zwolle, where he died on 18 August 1793. As Cape governor was succeeded by Lieutenant Colonel Cornelis Jacob van de Graeff.
In assessing his personality is still the propaganda of the Patriotiebewegung of the late 18th century, effective, strongly influenced by opponents, who describe him as a selfish man with an exaggerated tendency to self-representation. From the available sources can not occupy the same extent, or in some cases even refute. Sources to its administrative activities 1778-1783 were published in the 20th century
Plettenberg had great interest in the exploration of unknown territories and supported the exploration of South Africa. In his time the fall explorations of Joseph Karl Kindermann (1744-1801), Carl Peter Thunberg, Anders Sparrman, Francis Masson, William Patterson (1755-1810), Jan Splinter Stavornius, Robert Jacob Gordon (1743-1795) and François Levaillant ( 1753-1824 ). He himself took several round trips to define the boundaries of the Cape Colony and visited 47 outposts. Inter alia he let on 6 November 1778 landmark for the Dutch East India Company (VOC ) building, the so-called Van Plettenberg Beacon. Since then the place Plettenberg Bay is called. He is now a popular tourist destination on the Garden Route.
With great interest, he also observed the large Seeexpeditionen his time. The sailors landed at the Cape to replenish their supplies and made him take this opportunity to pay their respects. He offered them his support and learned firsthand of new research and discoveries. He used this knowledge in the talks with the captains, who appreciated him as a competent interlocutor and so promoted the unveiling of the globe in his own way. James Cook and Georg Forster mention him in their travelogues.
Written estate
In the Dutch National Archives (PDF, 17 kB)