Overview
Frederik Hendrik museum is located in Vieux Grand Port, an isolated and peaceful part of Mauritius, towards the southeastern coast, which holds its importance as a crucial part of Mauritian history. Vieux Grand Port is a historical site, and Frederik Hendrik museum is declared as a National Heritage. The Dutch constructed a fort at the port on the southeast side of the island, and called it Fort Frederik Hendrik, naming it after the stadtholder back in the Netherlands, the brother of Prince Maurice after whom the island got its name. Unlike other colonial forts which often defended against subordinate workers, the function of this fort was to protect against possible invaders from the ocean. It was therefore ironic that, in 1695, an uprising of slaves resulted in the burning of Fort Frederik Hendrik. The French would later build a new fort on top of the ruins of the old one.
