Early history of the Paap family
The early history of the Paap family began with the Nikolopoulos household, a Greek Orthodox family from the Ottoman-controlled Peloponnese. The household fled during the suppression of the Orlov Revolt in 1770 and later settled in the Dutch Republic. The surname Paap developed after the migration and became the hereditary name of the family's Dutch descendants.
Origins
[edit | edit source]The earliest established generation was headed by Nikolaos Nikolopoulos, a merchant who traded olive oil and wine in the Peloponnese. He was married to Despina Papadopoulou, who came from a Greek Orthodox household.
Nikolaos and Despina had eight children. Their eldest child was Martinos Nikolopoulos. Aikaterini Nikolopoulou later established her own household in the Netherlands. Georgios Nikolopoulos became the ancestor of the Hugerinus lineage, while Eleni Nikolopoulou also survived the family's departure from Greece.
Four of their children died before or during the migration. Dimitrios Nikolopoulos was killed in 1768. Sophia Nikolopoulou died during the escape in 1770. Panagiotis Nikolopoulos died after being wounded during the flight. Anastasia Nikolopoulou drowned during the journey.
Migration to the Dutch Republic
[edit | edit source]Nikolaos and Despina left the Peloponnese with their four surviving children during the suppression of the Orlov Revolt in 1770. The household eventually reached the Dutch Republic.
Despina survived the journey but died from a heart attack shortly after the family's arrival in 1771. Nikolaos remained in the Netherlands with his surviving children.
The siblings later established separate households. Aikaterini settled first in Zaandam before later moving to Rotterdam. Georgios also established himself in Rotterdam.
Establishment of the Paap family
[edit | edit source]After a religious vision, Martinos recorded the unfamiliar word "Paap" in the Greek-language Book of Paap. He understood the name as referring to the future of his descendants.
After the family settled in the Netherlands, the word Paap also became associated with the household because of its conspicuous Christian observance. Members of the family interpreted its appearance in Dutch usage as confirmation of Martinos's vision. Paap gradually replaced Nikolopoulos as the hereditary surname used by the Dutch descendants.
Martinos married Eleni Anagnostopoulou. Their eldest child, Melchior Paap, became the first Great Paap and inherited custody of the Book of Paap. Their other children were Johannes Paap, Maria Paap and Nikolaas Paap.
Martinos remained closely identified with the family's religious beginnings. Later generations praised him as "the one most true Paap".
Early branches
[edit | edit source]Aikaterini Nikolopoulou married Pieter Kromhout after settling in the Netherlands. She converted from Greek Orthodoxy to Protestantism and later lived with her family in Rotterdam. Her household developed separately from the Orthodox branch descended from Martinos.
Georgios Nikolopoulos also settled in Rotterdam. He worked as a maritime merchant and remained Greek Orthodox after marrying Cornelia Verzee.
Georgios later gave his son Aris Hugerinus Paap the additional name Hugerinus because the word appeared in the Book of Paap. Aris became the first bearer of the name. His descendants formed the Hugerinus lineage, which maintained the tradition that Hugerinus bearers received four-letter first names.
Religious tradition
[edit | edit source]The Book of Paap became the principal religious text preserved by the early family. It described a future Paap of light and a Paap of darkness. Martinos wrote that the Paap of light would bear the name Hugerinus.
Melchior Paap became the first formal guardian of the book through his position as Great Paap. The office passed through his direct descendants by primogeniture and originally existed to preserve the text for later generations.
Literal belief in Martinos's prophecy was uncommon among the early Paaps. His relatives generally regarded him as wise and devout, but almost none expected the predicted confrontation to occur. The family nevertheless continued preserving the book and the traditions associated with it.