Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada
Gonzalo Jiménez Quesada Rivera , also Ximénez and de Quezada ([ gonˈθalo xiˈmeneθ ðe keˈsaða (keˈθaða) i riβˈeɾa ]; * 1509 in Córdoba or Granada , Spain ; † February 16, 1579 in Mariquita , Colombia ) was a Spanish lawyer and conquistador . He founded the current Colombian capital Bogotá .
Life
Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada was probably born in Cordoba to a Jewish family who converted to Christianity. Other sources, u. a. those of the members of his expeditions rather suggest that he was born in Granada.
He entered 1535/36 in the colony of Santa Marta as a legal magistrate (span. "Justicia Mayor") and had the task of exploring the Magdalena river . As a conquistador he was an exception because he could write and read fluently and had a legal education. He defeated the Chibchas and on August 6, 1538 founded the then capital of the later viceroyalty of New Granada , Santa Fe de Bogotá , which later became the capital of Colombia. He captured large quantities of emeralds and gold for the crown of Spain. His dealings with the local population fluctuated between brutal attacks and humanitarian aid.
He met Nikolaus Federmann and Sebastián de Belalcázar and convinced them to travel back to Spain with him, as they all claimed the new territories. He was ignored there until 1550, as the mood in Spain towards the conquistadors was bad. He later received the title of Marshal of New Granada as a result of his legal skills . He tried several times to find El Dorado and organized expeditions to the rivers Río Guaviare and Orinoco , which drove him to ruin. His records were lost.
plant
- Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada: El Antijovio . Edited by Rafael Torres Quintero, introductory study by Manuel Ballesteros Gaibrois. Bogotá, Instituto Caro y Cuervo, 1952.
literature
- Juan Friede: Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada a través de documentos históricos . Bogotá, Academia Colombiana de Historia, 1960.
- Juan Peace: El adelantado don Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada . 2 volumes. Bogotá, Carlos Valencia, 1979.
Web links
- Literature by and about Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada in the catalog of the Ibero-American Institute in Berlin
- Chapter X of the book Descubrimiento del Nuevo Reino de Granada y Fundación de Bogotá by Juan Friede (Spanish)
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Jiménez de Quesada, Gonzalo |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | Spanish conquistador and lawyer |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 1509 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Cordoba or Granada , Spain |
| DATE OF DEATH | February 16, 1579 |
| Place of death | Mariquita , Colombia |