Nederlandse vertaling
The Holkema Family
The ancestors of the
Hol(c)kema family were knights living in the north-western part of Friesland.
Nowadays the isles Texel and Vlieland are in this area. Earlier this part was
land and a delta of the river "IJssel". According historical documents the
Holkema were owners of great estates in this part of Friesland that was around
the year 1200. The Holkema's digged , just like other estate-owners, canals for
drainage throughout the dunes. One day there was a big storm, the water of the
North Sea overflowed the estates of the Holkema family. A great part of the
estate flowed away and the isles Texel and Vlieland came into being. The Holkema
family owned two castles in Friesland; one castle in the area now called
Vlieland. In the year 1268 this castle was plundered and destroyed. And lateron in 1500 another
castle in the village of "Achlum",this castle disappeared in the 19th century.
In the early days the spelling of surnames was not so important as nowadays. The
Holkema, Holckema, Holckama and Holcama are the same family. The Holkema family
is a very old family and traceable until the year 1200 (Vrieslandt Chronicle).
Between 1200 and 1500 there are no records of Holkema found yet.
In the 1500's the Holkema's showing up again in present Friesland.
Early Holkema ancestors
The arms of the Holkema
family exists on the left part by half of an black eagle. The right part of the
arms consists of two parts: the upper part is a like the letter "A", but this is
an ancient Germanic sign; the lower part is a picture of an acorn on a blue background.
The Holkema family is
very good traceable in ancient history because of the Germanic sign in the arms.
This Germanic sign was the precursor of the arms of the Holkema family.
This own brand is from before year counting and used by families or a individual person.
It was an easy to draw sign which could be used on official papers and owned properties for people who could not write; but also used on grave stones.
The own brand was enherited from father to son lot's of times with a slight change like an extra line.
It was in common use by frisian people. Probably with it's origin in the rune signs
The arms are designed at the time that Napoleon was ruling the waves in Holland and a
great part of Europe. The half of the black eagle in the arms gave the owners of
the arms some privileges like passing borders easier. All origin Frisian
families were allowed (by Napoleon) to have that eagle in their arms. The origin of the black eagle lies in the old german holy roman empire (double black eagle).
The acorn on the blue background means that the Holkema family owned forests on sandy aeries with lot's of water.
Genealogy of the Holkema family
You can find the Holkema family tree by clicking on this link
The Holkema family is related to Haring Donia.
Other famous an important descendents of Haring Donia (so also related to the Holkema's) are Jancko Douwama also a frisian worrior and Ygo van Galama and the Van Aylva family.
The van Galama's and Van Aylva has brought lot's of mayors in Friesland.The van Galama's are many times related trough marriages to the Harinxma's (thoes Slooten,thoe Heegh etc.) ,also a family who has brought lot's of mayors in Friesland.
The connection between the Donia's and the Holkema's is Pieter Fransen Holkema (son of Frans Willems Holkema and Eelck Pieters) who married Meijncke Daniels van der Leij.
Meijncke Daniels van der Leij is a descendent of Haring Donia, trough Bauck van Harinxma who married Hans Tietema.
A son of Pieter Fransen Holkema named Frans Pieter Holkema became a priest by styding with the help of the Dr. Douwe Tietema scholarship.
Holkema a patriciër family
Start early and continue is the only manner to become a patriciër. First of all the family must have performed six generations long. In the official terms of the central office for the genealogy: you must have played "a prominent role in the Dutch society". This does not mean that all members must finish to finish as a minister-president, but a considerable percentage is possible successful intellectuals
or artists can be usefull .Then the test for a commission of the central office for genealogy comes. If they decide that that the family tree is acceptable, possibly after precious additional research, then the tree will be placed in the "blue booklet ", which official is called "Nederland's Patriciaat". From 1910 to 1998 81 issues have appeared. After publishing in the ' blue booklet ' the account follows, depending the size of the pedigree: how more pages which confiscate, how more expensive. The Holkema family has endured this test and has been already placed in "the blue booklet"
Goto the Holkema patricier page
Official website of the Dr. Douwe Tietema scholarship
Familymembers mentioned in the familytree can apply for this scholarship !
Here are some famous members of the Holkema family:
Gysbert Japicx Hol(c)kema
One of the oldest
members of the Holkema family is the Friesian poet Gysbert Japicx (1603-1666)
born in the village of Bolsward (Friesland). You can achieve an original
handwriting of this poet buy using this link (just click the
mouse). To pay his costs of living he was a teacher. He was well educated, he
knew the languages French and also Latin and Greek. Probably he was a student at
the Latin school in the village of Bolsward.
His
father named ,Jacob Gysbert, was a chest-maker by profession, but he was also
mayor and deacon, he belonged to the upper part of society. Jacob Gysbert was
the builder of the city hall of the village of Bolsward (this was built in
1614-1616). On the door of the council chamber is written that Jacob Gysbert was
the designer and builder of the city-hall.Jacob Gysbert and his wife, Ancke
Willems are buried in a church named the "Broerekerk" in the village of
Bolsward. Their thombstone can be seen in the southern wall of this church.
A painting of Gysbert
Japicx Holkema can be seen at the "Frisian Museum" in City of Leeuwarden
(capital of Friesland). The painting is of the year 1637. Gysbert was then 34
years of age. This painting has been painted a year after his marriage with a
woman named Sijke Salves Nicolai; a daughter of notary Salvius Nicolai who lived
in the city of Leeuwarden. The painter was Matthijs Harings (ca.1593-ca.1665).
A museum was erected for Gysbert Japicx Holkema in the city of Bolsward.
Life course of Gysbert Japicx Holkema:
|
1603
|
Gysbert Japicx is born as oldest son of master
carpenter and lateron mayor Jacob Gysbert Holkema and Antje WillemsDr. at the Wipstrjitte
6 at Bolsward.
|
|
approx. 1610
|
Gysbert Japicx Holkema goes to school at master Michiel van der Molen ,lateron Gysbert will fullfill this fuction.
|
|
approx. 1615
|
Probably Gysbert was a student
at the Latin school in Bolsward under headmaster Henricus Antonides.
|
|
1614-1616
|
Construction of the town hall at Bolsward
designed by his father Jacob Gysbert Holkema
|
|
1624
|
Gysbert Japicx Holkema is adopted as a member of
the Dutch reformed church at Bolsward
|
|
1625
|
Gysbert Japicx is appointed as a school master at
Witmarssum ,helped by his friend Tjeerd
van Aylva, mayor of Wonseradeel,
on a fee of 100 gold guilders a year.
|
|
1635
|
Gysbert leave Witmarssum and supposedly to gum.
|
|
1636
|
Marriage at Leeuwarden with the 13 years younger Sijke Salves Nicolai, daughter
of notary Salvius Nicolai,
originating from Stiens and resident to the Nieuwstad at Leeuwarden.
|
|
|
1637
|
Gysbert Japicx Holkema returns to Bolsward with his wife Sijke
and his mother in law ( widow) Aeltje
Lenerts Flasmar. In Bolsward he is appointed as schoolmaster and church singer on a fee of
respectively 247 gold guilders and 40 gold guilders a year.First
he lives in the Snorckstrjitte and lateron It Heech. His first daughter
Antsje becomes born, which will die young.
|
|
approx. 1638
|
Daughter Aeltje
is born.
|
|
1640
|
wedding verse "" Fryske Tsjerne "" appears by a publisher Claude Fonteyne (friend of Gysbert Japicx) living in Leeuwarden.
|
|
1641
|
Son Salves is born.
|
|
|
1644
|
Son Jacob is born.
|
|
1650
|
Daughter Antsje
is born.
|
|
approx. 1650
|
Visit of the British linguistic Franciscus Junius
(1590-1677). Gysbert teaches him the Frisian language.
Junius saved many graphemes of Gysbert (Bodleian Library Oxford).
|
|
1654
|
Start of the friendship with Symen Abbes Gabbema
(1628-1688) poet historical writer of friesland
living in Leeuwarden
.He correspondens from 1654 up to 1661 in sum 26 remained
letters.
|
|
|
approx. 1655
|
Publication of the poems of Gysbert failed.
|
|
1656
|
calamity year.......three of his children (Antsje,
Jacob and Aeltsje) dies to the plague. Gysbert
eyesight is getting rapidly less.
|
|
approx.
1660
|
Son Salves studies in Leeuwarden for becoming a doctor particularly in its
last study year Salves starts partying.When he becomes
a doctor in Rien (famous for it’s big horse
markets) it get’s worse .Gysbert
decides to help out and delivers him a job as a doctor on the isle of Amlenad ,
but among the harbour people,Salves feels quite
at home and even makes many debts.
|
|
1666
|
plague epidemic in Bolsward, Gysbert
and its wife (in spite of the care of the returned son Salves) dies within
8 weeks. Salves also dies as a result of the plague in that year.
|
|
The adress of this museum is:
It Gysbert Japicxhus (museum)
Wipstrjitte 6
PO Box
150
8700 AD BOLSWARD
The Netherlands
Telephone number: 0031 515-573990
Facsimile:
0031 515-577204
Commemoration stamps Gysbert Japicx Holkema
In commemoration of Gysbert
Japicx Holkema there were 2 stamps emitted in the 1966 by the Dutch Postal
Office (KPN) (300 years after his death) On the picture below you can see these
stamps:
The Gysbert Japicx award
Gysbert is seen by many persons as "the Dutch
language-builder" of the 17 th century. That's the reason why the Confederation
of Friesland founded The Gysbert Japicx Holkema Award for literature in the year
1947. An example of the charter belonging to this award can be achieved by
clicking this link
(use your mouse).
Franciscus Holkema
Another famous Holkema,is Franciscus Holkema, a
student in biology. In the yaer 1868 this student rediscovered the cranberry in
Holland On the isle of "Terschelling" at the upper part of Friesland. 
Nowadays the cranberry is still Cultivated on the isle of Terschelling In
the neighborhood of the city "West aan Zee" at post 8 there was a small part of
the dunes not much cultivated by the inhabitants of the isle. In a valley of the
dunes a student named "Franciscus Holkema" Rediscovered the cranberry in the
year 1868.This was the only part of Holland where this plat was growing (and in
Great Britain of course!) The valley where the Cranberry was discovered now
called "Studentenplak" the Friesian name for Student-place. This valley was very
famous because the origin vegetation was still present in that area not
destroyed by human interference.
Bookshop Holkema Scheltema and publisher Holkema & Warendorf
Other famous Holkema are those of the bookshop and publisher
Tjomme van Holkema and his son Arjen Buwalda van Holkema.
In 1853 J.H. Scheltema starts a bookshop in Amsterdam at the Keizersgracht 436.
In 1868 Tjomme van Holkema buys the bookshop of Scheltema(at that time Tjomme already had his own bookshop ,also in Amsterdam).
Bookshop "Scheltema & Holkema" was born.
In 1878 Tjomme van Holkema starts being a publisher. He sells the bookshop ""Scheltema & Holkema "" in 1882 to K. Groesbeek.
Tjomme van Holkema dies on 4 jan 1891.His wife Catharina Sophia Kremer asks the former employer S. Warendorf jr (he worked in the bookshop ""Scheltema&Holkema"" since 1877 as junior salesman),wants to take over de publisher business together with her son
Arjen Buwalda van Holkema.
In 1891 publishers Van Holkema & Warendorf takes off.
Their Heraldic divice was:
'Volhardt & Waect'.
Meaning something like keep persistance and guard.
In 1901 Catharina Sophia Kremer stops being a partner in the business ""Holkema&Warendorf"".
S.Warendorf dies in 1918 and his son M.E.H. Warendorf takes over.
Warendorf was jewish so at the start of the second world war, may 1940, he leaves for the USA.
He is replaced at the company by R.van der Velde.
Publisher "Van Holkema en Warendorf" has to many strings with the jews according to the germans.
Also because they helped out publisher Querido in 1915.
That year Querido went bankrupted.Holkema and Warendorf helped out and restarted Querido.
("Querido" en "Van Holkema & Warendorf" were in close partnership afterwards).
So on 23 of may in 1944 Arjen Buwalda van Holkema was not allowed being at the office anymore by the Germans.
In august 1945 (after the war) M.E.H. Warendorf comes back from the USA to start his job again at Holkema & Warendorf
Things were changed and after interference of the court Warendorf was sold out.
Arjen Holkema wents along with R. van der Velde.
In 1950 Arjen retires, A.E. Stheeman takes over.
In 1968 "Van Dishoeck,van Holkema & Warendorf" comes into being
1980 Bought by Buhrman Tetterode
1986 R.C.Malherbe takes over
1991 Fusion with Meulenhoff
Publishers were settled at Keizersgracht 436 ,in 1891 Singel 542 ,in 1900 Herengracht 457 and May 1907 Keizersgracht 333 in Amsterdam.
Nowedays the bookshop is called ""Scheltema Holkema Vermeulen""
and the publishers is still ""Holkema&Warendorf"".
