Dutch Burgher Union of Ceylon
| Full name | Dutch Burgher Union of Ceylon |
|---|---|
| Native name | Hollandsche Burgher Vereeniging van Ceylon |
| Motto | Eendrache Maakt Macht |
| Motto in English | Unity is Strength |
| Founded | 18 January 1908 |
| Country | Sri Lanka |
Dutch Burgher Union of Ceylon (abbreviated as: DBUC; Dutch: Hollandsche Burgher Vereeniging van Ceylon), also known simply Dutch Burgher Union (DBU), is an organisation of Dutch Burghers. The union was established on 18 January 1908, by Richard Gerald Anthonisz.
On 12 November 1907 Richard Gerald Anthonisz (1852–1930) organised a preliminary meeting of men and women of the Dutch Burgher community at the Lindsay School Hall in Bambalapitiya to consider the establishment of a Dutch Burgher Union. A small committee was appointed to draft a constitution for the union. The inaugural general meeting of the union was held on 18 January 1908 at the Pettah Public Library, with 267 enrolled members present. At the meeting Frederick Charles Loos CMG (1934-1911), a Proctor and Member of the Legislative Council was elected as the first president of the union, with Anthonisz as Honorary Secretary (a position he retained until 1915). The second president of the union was Henry Lorenz Wendt (1958-1911) however he died two months after his election and in 1912 was replaced by Fedrick Henry de Vos (1857–1920). In 1913 Sir Hector William van Cuylenburg was elected as the fourth president of the union. In 1916, Anthonisz was elected President, a position he held for twenty-four years until his death in 1930.
The first writ described the vision of union, and it stated ".. promote the moral, intellectual and social well-being of the Dutch and Dutch Burgher descendants in Ceylon (Sri Lanka).. and among many others .. the promotion of fellowship, self-help, self-reliance and thrift." Membership of the Dutcher Burgher Union was governed by strict genealogical qualifications, with members having to demonstrate an uninterrupted line of patrilineal descent from a European employee of the Dutch East India Company. Now it functions in Colombo as centre of Dutch Burgher's social and community activities.
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