Bartholomeus VI. Welser

Bartholomeus VI. Welser (the younger, 26 October 1512 – c 17 May 1546) was the son of Bartholomeus V. Welser (the elder). In 1540 he journeyed to Venezuela to join an expedition by Governor Georg von Speyer. Finding Speyer dead on his arrival, he joined Philipp von Hutten in exploring Venezuela for the Welser banking family which had acquired the colonial rights to Venezuela Province in 1528, creating Klein-Venedig. After his return to El Tocuyo in April 1546 he and von Hutten were taken captive by the Spanish conquistador Juan de Carvajal, and later beheaded.