Visit to Hamelhuis Gorinchem
On November 4, 2017 the foundation Jan Janszoon Weltevree visited the Hamelhuis museum in Gorichem. Hendrick Hamel, born in 1630 in Gorinchem was maritime bookkeeper of the VOC ship De Sperwer, which was shipwrecked in 1653 off the coast of the Korean island of Jeju. There he was captured with the survivors and led to the king, who was accompanied by a white man with a red beard, the Dutchman Jan Janszoon Weltevree. After 13 years, Hamel escaped to Japan and wrote his Journael, an interesting story about the closed kingdom of Korea, written by one of the first Europeans to set foot there. In this book, which appeared in several European countries, he also tells about the existence of Jan Janszoon Weltevree from De Rijp.
We were received warmly in Gorinchem by the board members Dick van Zanten, Jeroen van Rosmalen, Evert van Sprakelaar, Steven Dondorp and the historian Valentine Wikaart and were given an interesting tour of the beautifully restored museum.
President Fré received a surprise gift of a facsimile copy of the Hamel Journal from the Hamelhuis board.
