Frederik Hendrik Museum
| Frederik Hendrik Museum / Fort Frederik Hendrik | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Ruins of Fort Frederik Hendrik with museum building | |
Interactive map of Frederik Hendrik Museum / Fort Frederik Hendrik | |
| 20°22′30″S 57°43′19″E / 20.37499°S 57.72186°E | |
| Type | Fortification and museum |
| Location | Vieux Grand Port, Grand Port District, Mauritius |
| History | |
| Built | 1638 (Dutch fort) |
| Site notes | |
| Governing body | Mauritius Museums Council |
Frederik Hendrik Museum, also known as the Fort Frederik Hendrik, is part of the Vieux Grand Port National Heritage Site in Mauritius.[1] It encompasses the archaeological ruins of the first Dutch East India Company fortification on the island, built in 1638, along with later French colonial structures and a museum opened in 1999 that displays artifacts from excavations.
The site marks the location of the first permanent European settlement in Mauritius and provides key evidence of early Dutch colonial activity in the Indian Ocean.
History
The Dutch first sighted Mauritius in 1598 and named it after Prince Maurice of Nassau.[2] In 1638, under Commander Cornelius Gooyer, they established a settlement at what is now Vieux Grand Port and constructed Fort Frederik Hendrik, named after Frederick Henry, Prince of Orange. The fort served as a refreshment station for VOC ships but was abandoned in 1710, after which the Dutch destroyed much of the structure.[3]
The French claimed the island in 1715 and settled in the area around 1722, later moving their main administration to Port Louis. From 1753 onward, they built structures atop the Dutch ruins, including a lodge, prison, bakery, blacksmith workshop, and other buildings. The adjacent Notre Dame de Grand Pouvoir Church and other remnants also date to the French period.[3]
The Museum was opened in 1999 in a French-era building on the site.
Exhibits
The museum holds exhibits from archaeological excavations, notably from 1997–2003 in collaboration with researchers from Rutgers University and the University of Amsterdam, uncovered Dutch layers approximately 50 cm below the French structures.[4][5]
See also
External links
References
- ↑ "Frederik Hendrik Museum & Vieux Grand Port Historic Site | Mauritius, Africa | Attractions". Lonely Planet. Retrieved 2026-05-14.
- ↑ "Frederik Hendrik Museum". Canon van Nederland (in Dutch). Retrieved 2026-05-14.
- 1 2 Floore, Pieter M.; Jayasena, Ranjith M. (2010-12-01). "In Want of Everything? Archaeological Perceptions of a Dutch Outstation on Mauritius (1638–1710)". Post-Medieval Archaeology. 44 (2): 320–340. doi:10.1179/174581310X12810074246708. ISSN 0079-4236.
- ↑ "DUTCH FORT FREDERIK HENDRIK – VIEUX GRAND PORT: Protecting archaeological evidence". Le Mauricien (in French). 2014-01-10. Retrieved 2026-05-14.
- ↑ "About The Frederik Hendrik Museum – Mauritius Museums Council, Government of Mauritius". Retrieved 2026-05-14.
