Gillis Hooftman

Gillis Hooftman van Eyckelberg,(German:Ägidius Hauptmann;1521 – 19 January 1581,Antwerp) was a Dutch merchant, trader, banker, and shipbuilder from theDuchy of Limburg.Hooftman was one of richest men of his time in the prosperous city ofAntwerp,the trading center of theSpanish Netherlands.

Gillis Hooftman
Gillis Hooftman (left) and Margaretha van Nispen, painting byMarten de Vos
Born	Gillis Hooftman van Eyckelberg c.1521 Eupen,Habsburg Netherlands
Died	19 January 1581 (aged 59–60) Antwerp,Spanish Netherlands

A medallion by Steven van Herwijck with a portrait of Gillis Hooftman

Life and work

Gillis Hooftman was the son of Erken (Arnold) Arnt Hauptmann (d. 1545), a bailiff of the Lathof in the Stockem neighborhood of Eupen, and of Tryntgen (Katharina) Hoesch. The family originated from theRhineland,and its earlier name ofEichelbergwas changed to a Limburger form, van Eyckelberg.A fiefdom in Eupen-Stockem named after Hauptmann, as is the "Hauptmann Column" was erected to help travelers find their way through the marshlands of the High Fens.

The international trade intimberwas the key to the success of his trading house. His business contacts reached as far as Russia, and eventually Hooftman was in a position to purchase several trading vessels. Sources state that Hooftman may have owned more than 100 ships at his peak. These ships sailed to ports in theBaltic Sea,and also pioneered Dutch trading with ports of theArctic Ocean,and North Africa.

By 1559, Hooftman had become one of the richest men in Antwerp, and was living on the "Steenstraat", near theHet Steenfortress. In 1578 he bought the "Pulhof" quarter in Berchem, and in 1580, he acquired the Van Affinghem Abbey's retreat in the Mattestraat. That same year he also acquired the Cleydael Castle, and became the Landlord of Cleydael andAartselaar.He became active in local politics, and for many years, he was a member of the Antwerp City Council.

Family

Johanna Hooftman with husband Antonio Anselmo and two children. Painting by Marten de Vos

Hooftman married three times.

Hooftman married firstly Maria Petitpas with no issue.

Hooftman married secondly his niece Anna van Achterhout (died 1562), the daughter of his brother Heinrich, with issue 4 children including:

• Johanna Hooftman (1555–97) who married the cloth merchant Antonio Anselmo. Martin de Vos painted portraits of the couple, which appear in the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium inBrussels.

On 14 February 1568 in Antwerp Cathedral, Hooftman married thirdly Margaretha van Nispen (1545–1598), a sister ofPeter Paul Rubens' brother-in-law, with issue 7 children including:

• Anna Hooftman who married firstly the financier SirHoratio Palavicino(1540-1600) and secondly, as a widow,Sir Oliver Cromwell(cir 1562-1655, the uncle of the Lord Protector)
• Beatrice Eichelberg Hooftman (died 1644) who married Philips de Soete de Laecke, Heer van Villers

On 19 January 1581, Hooftman died at Antwerp.

References

• Willi Berens:Ein großer Eupener: Gillis HooftmanIn: Eupener Geschichts- und Museumsverein (Hrsg.):Geschichtliches Eupen.Band II. Markus-Verlag, Eupen 1968. pp. 56–81

External links

• Kurzbiografie- A brief biography(in Dutch)
• Gillis Hooftman: Businessman and Patron
• Deux Médailles à l'Effigie de l'Armateur Anversois Gillis Hooftman(in French)