Profile -- Jan Witteveen "Pieterzoon" Jan's features, blond hair and blue eyes betray his Germanic roots, though he was born Dutch. He is of average height, making him slightly taller than average in his day. He changed at the age of thirty-one, in or around the year 1753, though in modern times his appearance is closer to forty. Jan is descended from a Dutch merchant family that sent him to manage their interests in New York City. It is through the records of the Witteveens that much of what is known about his mortal life has survived. The Witteveen family was a significant, if not prominent, merchant family in Amsterdam starting at the end of the 17th century. Jan was born in 1722 to Marc Witteveen and an unknown spouse. He was schooled briefly at the Sorbonne but left that institution to help the family on the death of his father in 1738. He spent some years working for his uncle Jean, the primary holder of the Witteveen fortune, and was sent to the Americas in 1749. There records become sparser. Some letters that do survive mention his friendship with a number of gentlemen, most notably a "Pieter," a fellow Dutch merchant who was active in the lumber trade. Perhaps unsurprisingly, letters from Jan cease in 1753. It is known that Pieter Schwebel was the prince of New York City and surrounding territories at the time, though formal Arcanum records of New York City do not begin until 1900. When our observations begin, Jan is noted as the second and younger childe of Pieter, the elder being a certain Stephen, also of Dutch descent. Stephen served as sheriff in the city while Jan held no formal title. He aided his sire in small matters but was generally accounted of little import. In the early fifties the Sabbat presence in the city intensified steadily. The year when the attack began cannot be easily placed, but the date in general Camarilla use is May 19th, 1957, when a Sabbat war party led by Fernanda Montero disrupted court and slew Pieter and Stephen. Jan was one of only three survivors of the court debacle, smuggled to safety by the powers of the veiled ones. The war dragged on for perhaps two or three more years, but Jan was not seen in New York City again until the present time. Jan's current position seems to be based on his claims of blood. He took the princedom under the name "Jan Pieterzoon" and Julia of the Brujah has stated that Jan rules because he is the childe of the former prince. While this is perhaps not strictly true according to my knowledge of Camarilla law, it seems that Jan's rule is supported by the archons, Celeste and Faida, so he must have a strong voice in the halls of power. He is supported as well as by two of the elders of the city, Julia and Isabella, and by the scourge Alice. It is not certain which ancillae or neonates support the Prince. His position has been weakened recently by the rebellion of Mobea and the death of the archon Dimitrios. Julia discussed this weakness, saying that he does not have the strength to deal with the Sabbat in his current position. Despite his weakness, however, few Kindred of note act as his open enemies. Jan makes few public appearances outside of court and maintains an air of dignity and calm in all his dealings with others. He has been brought to anger only once, by Mobea at the first session of court. In his other public disagreements he has defused the situation by diverting the blame off on another. Most notably when Winter of the Tremere tried to embarrass him for not holding the Cathedral he deflected blame on to Anastasia of the Nosferatu. Transcribed and maintained Elizabeth Kent