A painting of Wouter van Twiller by Washington Allston.

Wouter van Twiller (Nijkerk, May 22 1606 - buried August 29 1654, Amsterdam) was an employee of the Dutch West India Company and the director-general of the Dutch colony of New Netherland from 1633 until 1637.

During that time he lived in New Amsterdam, the largest settlement in the colony, which later became New York City. During his term in office, Van Twiller purchased what is now Governors Island from a tribe of Indians. During his time in office, settlers from New England wrested away the Connecticut Valley from New Netherland, but he was able to defend the Dutch territory in Delaware, where his soldiers captured a shipload of intending settlers from Virginia.

Despite his inability to manage the affairs of New Netherland properly, he was able through shrewd and cunning dealing and the general increase in the prosperity of the Colony, to accumulate a private fortune. He returned to Holland in 1637.

• This article incorporates text from an edition of the New International Encyclopedia that is in the public domain.

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