De Castro Family (Sephardi Jewish) - David Henriques de Castro

David Henriques De Castro


Numismatist and author, born Amsterdam 1832, died there 10 October 1898

Son of Moses Henriques de Castro. He was a man of much learning, member of the board of directors of the Portuguese synagogue at Amsterdam, and president of the committee of the Portuguese Jews of The Netherlands.

He possessed a rare collection of old coins and art treasures, and a library rich in Spanish and Portuguese manuscripts and printed works dealing with the history of the Jews, an elaborate catalogue of which appeared shortly after his death, under the title "Catalogue ... de la Succession de Feu M. D. Henriques de Castro", Amsterdam, 1899 (with illustrations). The whole collection was sold at auction in April 1899.

De Castro was appointed knight of the Order of the Immaculate Conception by the king of Portugal. He was a member of the Royal Archeological Society at Amsterdam, the Netherlands Literary Society at Leyden, and the Zeeland Society of Arts and Science at Middelburg.

De Castro took a keen interest in the history of the Spanish-Portuguese congregation of Amsterdam, in the renowned men identified with it - notably Spinoza - and in the inscriptions on the tombstones of the old cemetery at Oude Kerk. He laid bare an entire section of this old burial-ground and unearthed costly tombstones. He was also interested in the Jewish cemetery at Middelburg near Flushing, where he resided for some time.

The results of his investigations are embodied in the following works.

  • "De synagoge der Portugeesch-Israelitische Gemeente te Amsterdam", 1675–1875, published on the occasion of its bicentenary
  • "Keur van Grafsteenen op de Nederl.-Portug.-Israel. Begraafplaats te Oudekerk aan den Amstel", Leyden, 1883 (text in both Dutch and German).

De Castro was a contributor to several periodicals, such as the "Israelitisch Weekblad".

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