Andreas Cleyer

Andreas Cleyer (1634-1698). This German born international trader, botanist, physician, and japanologist died in Batavia, in what is now called Jakarta) in Indonesia.

Biography
Andreas Cleyer could be called a "soldier of fortune." He began as a modest solider, and he made his fortune and reputation during the course of a career. He rose in the ranks of the Dutch East Indies Company, becoming a respected and well-known figure in the VOC's Batavian society.


 * 1666: Andreas Cleyer probably came initially to Southeast Asia as a soldier of the VOC. His medical and scientific background led to a better posting as a company doctor.  He oversaw in the VOC's military hospital pharmacy in Batavia, which is now known as Jakarta in Indonesia.   During this period, he also became a rector of the Latin school.
 * 1680: Cleyer was appointed a magistrate in the company-provided judicial system in Batavia.
 * 1862-1863: The Executive Committee of at Batavia named Cleyer as Opperhoofd of the VOC trading post or "factory" at Dejima in Japan. His first period of duty encompassed October 20, 1682 thought November 8, 1683.  Cleyer pretended to be Dutch so that he would be allowed to enter Japan during the Edo period and its sakoku when none but employees of the Dutch East Indies Company were permitted to set foot on Japanese soil.
 * 1685-1686: Cleyer returned again to Dejima from October 17, 1685 through November 5, 1686. On this occasion, he was banished from Japan by the Tokugawa authorities.  He was reproached for failing in his duty to control smuggling.

Cleyer added to western botanical, zoological and medical knowledge in the course of his time in Southeast Asia. His collecting and catagorizing activities were noteworthy in their number and extent.

Scientific treatises
Dr. Cleyer's published work is still available in rare book collections.
 * Specimen Medicinae Sinicae, sive Opuscula Medica ad Mentem Sinensium. Zubrodt, Frankfurt 1682.
 * Clavis medica ad Chinarum doctrinam de pulsibus / autore Michaele Boymo … in lucem Europaeam produxit Cl. Dn. Andreas Cleyerus …. Norimbergae, 1686.
 * Flora Japanica. unveröffentlicht