Capital of the Netherlands, Amsterdam owes its name to its original configuration, that is to say the dike (“dam”) on the Amstel (the river which runs through the city).
The city experiences a strong development in the Middle Ages, thanks to the exemption from taxes on trade granted to the inhabitants of what was until then only a village.
This tax advantage founds the wealth of the city, which becomes an important commercial center in the 14th century thanks to its booming port.
In order to guarantee its security and also the delivery of exported products to warehouses, Amsterdam is soon equipped with canals.
In 1421 and 1452, the city is ravaged by two fires because its buildings are almost all made of wood. New building must in the future be built of stone, however the paradox is that the entire base of the city is still made of wood: stone building being heavier than wooden ones, numerous wooden piles – actually entire trees to reach the first sandbanks – make possible the construction of the entire city on stilts.
Amstel river
Confined to Northern European trade, Amsterdam suffers from the pre-eminence of Antwerp at the beginning of the 16th century.
Having fallen into the hands of the King of Spain Charles V through a game of inheritance, Amsterdam overthrows in 1578 the somewhat intransigent Catholic government then in place and the Netherlands – which were then called the United Provinces – gain their independence after the Eighty Years’ War, in 1648.
In a context of strong religious intransigence which sees Europe ravaged by religious wars, Amsterdam stands out as a tolerant and progressive city towards which many emigrants converge, whether Jewish families from Spain and Portugal, Protestant merchants from Flanders, French Huguenots, men of science, philosophers, printers. All contribute to making Amsterdam the European center of trade and tolerance.
The Basilica of Saint-Nicolas, erected between 1884 and 1887, is a neo-Renaissance church built in honor of Saint-Nicolas, the patron of sailors
The construction of the Oude Kerk church dates back to the 1300s
The Zuiderkerk church is a Protestant church, built between 1603 and 1611
As a consequence, the 17th century is the golden age of Amsterdam, which becomes the richest city in the world. The Protestant bourgeois bring know-how and capital and place the city at the heart of a global maritime trade network.
The world’s first two multinationals are created – the Dutch East India Company and its rival the Dutch West India Company – which acquire overseas lands that would later become Dutch colonies. This is why we usually say that capitalism was born in Amsterdam.
In fact, the very beautiful – and very narrow (a question of taxes) – residences line the canals.
The spices which are brought back by sea make the fortune of the city, which also enjoys immense artistic influence, with Vermeer and Rembrandt.
Such prosperity obviously leads to a demographic explosion. The city expands and develops around a semi-concentric network of canals connected in a spider’s web by perpendicular canals.
The golden century comes to an end with the wars. Furthermore, shipping company customers are developing their own commercial fleets, and the tonnage of Dutch ships is no longer sufficient.
Industrialization in the 19th century allowes the city to regain a leading position. The population is still growing, and the construction of the North Sea Canal is helping to facilitate connections with major European ports.
Neutral during WWI and WWII, the Netherlands are nevertheless invaded by the Nazis without prior declaration of war during this second conflict, on May 10, 1940. With no strong army, resistance is impossible and Queen Wilhelmina and the government quickly go into exile in the UK, leaving the population to face the invader.
In May 2020, King Willem-Alexander will recognize his great-grandmother’s indifference to the fate of the country’s Jews during the Nazi occupation.
It must be said that of the 140,000 Jews living in the Netherlands, 104,000 were victims of Nazism, and that Queen Wilhelmina never said a word about them. As for Amsterdam, even though the city had a Jewish quarter, there was a Jewish population throughout the city – the most famous being obviously Anne Frank.
Today, the city – now invaded by tourists – is a progressive city where prostitution (with the Red Light District), cannabis, homosexual marriage, euthanasia are authorized – but which has based its influence on slavery and colonialism.
On closer inspection, Amsterdam, which seems paradoxical at first glance, is more pragmatic than progressive: it has always adapted to the vagaries of History.
The flowers remain. They are everywhere, they are colorful, they are superb.
May 31, 2024
