[Portrait of Pietersen Heyn]

Piet Heynstraat

De Piet Heynstraat, is vernoemd naar de in Delfshaven geboren kaper en koopvaarder Pieter Pietersz. Heyn, 1577-1629. Hij bekleedde achtereenvolgens de functies van vice-admiraal en admiraal in dienst van de West-Indische Compagnie en luitenant- admiraal van Holland en West-Friesland. Hij veroverde in 1628 in de baai van Mantanzas in de buurt van Cuba, de Spaanse Zilvervloot.

Hier, op nr. 6 stond zijn geboortehuis. Het huidige pand is echter uit 1871 en bevat een gevelsteen met het wapen van Piet = vogel, Heyn = op een heining. De drakenkop in de geveltop verwijst enerzijds naar zijn heldendood en anderzijds naar het schip ’De Groene Draeck’ waarop hij sneuvelde. Piet Heyns wapenspreuk luidde: "Argentum Auro, Utrumque Virtut, Cedit" oftewel: "Goud is meer dan zilver, de deugd overtreft beide".

Hij werd in 1622 tot ’schepen’ (=wethouder) van de vroedschap van Rotterdam benoemd.

De Zilverkot
177.000 pond zilver
66 pond goud
1000 parels
37.575 huiden
3000 balen kleurstoffen
(indigo en cochemille) suiker, parfum en 1 papegaai

Piet Heynsstraat was named after the Delfshaven born sailing merchant and privateer, Pietersen Heyn, 1577-1629. He consecutively held the office of vice-admiral and admiral in the service of the West-India Company and luitenant-admiral of Holland and West-Friesland. In 1628 he captured the Spanish silver fleet in the Bay of Mantanzas near Cuba. He was born at the site of No 6. The current building however dates from 1871. It has a memorial stone of Piet Heyn’s coat of arms (A bird on a fence). The dragon’s head at de top of the facade refers to both his hero’s death and his ship" the Green Dragon" on which he died. Piet Heyn’s motto said: "Argentum Auro, Utrumque Virtut, Cedit" or "Gold is more than silver, virtue surpasses both", In 1622 he was appointed alderman in the city of Rotterdam.

The spoils of the silver fleet
177,000 pounds of silver (1 pound 500 gr.)
66 pounds of gold
1,000 pearls
37,575 skins
3,000 bales of dyes(indigo and cochenille)
sugar, perfume and 1 parrot

Between Productions logo

Delfshaven is a district of Rotterdam that was independent until 1886.
Delfshaven was spared from the German bombing of Rotterdam, but part of it was damaged by Allied bombing in 1943

The street signs that do not differ in format from the regular street signs in the city Click for sign's details (perhaps their color has faded somewhat), accompanied by explanations about the name of the street and its history.

The next photo taken by the same photographer on the same day shows the building on which the sign is located Click for a larger image