In the historic Kerkveld cemetery in Nieuwegein there are several older tombstones that belonged to the local nobility. The photos below are of the tombstone of Nicolas Malapert Heer van (Lord) Plettenburg, who died almost 400 years ago, on 6 November 1615 or 1616.
I don’t know much about Lord Plettenburg. Apparently he descended from a French noble family that later moved to Antwerp (now Belgium). Nicolas Malapert moved further north and bought Plettenburg castle, near the village Jutphaas (the castle was destroyed in 1819 or 1820). He died without offspring, and his sister inherited the castle but promptly sold it.
It is unlikely that Lord Plettenburg was buried on this exact spot, though – he was probably buried in the church at this site, which was later demolished. But his tombstone is still there, for all to see.
