Frederik Hendrik Museum, also known as the Fort Frederik Hendrik, is part of the Vieux Grand Port National Heritage Site in Mauritius. It includes 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 is the location of the first permanent European settlement in Mauritius and was part 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. 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 was a refreshment station for VOC ships but was abandoned in 1710, after which the Dutch destroyed much of the structure.
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 on 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.
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. Researchers from Rutgers University and the University of Amsterdam uncovered Dutch layers approximately 50 cm below the French structures.
See also Vieux Grand Port Dutch Mauritius History of Mauritius List of museums in Mauritius
External links Official website
References