Amsterdam, Netherlands

Amsterdam is the capital and largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. In fulfillment of the country's constitution, the sovereign of the Netherlands is always crowned in Amsterdam; however, although Amsterdam is the capital, it is not the seat of government, the branches of Dutch government all being located in the city of The Hague (Den Haag), approximately 56 kilometers (35 miles) southwest of Amsterdam.

Amsterdam is an eclectic blend of old-world charm and modern, liberal ideas. The city is known for its many famous art museums and historical buildings as well as for its night clubs and its red-light district. The progressive Dutch policies and attitudes on same-sex marriage, recreational drugs, alcohol, and prostitution have given the city an international reputation for tolerance.

Landscape

Amsterdam has a metropolitan area of 219 square kilometers (85 square miles). It is located in the northwestern region of the country, in the province of North Holland. The city is about 24 kilometers (15 miles) inland from the North Sea. One of twelve provinces of the Netherlands, North Holland is a flat, green, low-lying region. Some portions of the province have been elevated from the North Sea through the use of windmill-operated dikes (dijks), or levees.

Amsterdam originally developed around the seaport region of the IJ bay and the Amstel River. The city's name was originally Amstellerdam, derived from the two Dutch words meaning "dam on the Amstel River." As the city grew, a network of over forty canals was established, radiating outward from the heart of the city. The streets of Amsterdam are joined by hundreds of bridges, which cross the canals. The many canals of Amsterdam have earned the city the nickname "Venice of the North."

People

Amsterdam has an estimated population of about 1.166 million people within the city (2022 estimate). While most of the city's residents are Dutch, there is a sizeable population of immigrants from the former Dutch colonies of Suriname and Indonesia, and also from Turkey, Morocco, and southern Europe.

Although the Netherland prides itself on its religious tolerance, the majority of its residents claim no religious affiliation. The largest religious groups in the city are Christian and Sunni Muslim, representing 57 percent and 8 percent of the total population, respectively (2021 estimate). Only about 1 percent of the population is now Jewish, although the city once had a sizeable Jewish population.

One of the most popular cultural events in Amsterdam is the King's Day (Konigsdag) festival. Celebrated throughout the Netherlands, the King's Day festival is held on April 27 in honor of King Willem-Alexander's birthday. Residents and tourists, dressed in orange (the color of the royal family), celebrate with music, food, beer, and street entertainment. Prior to 2013, the holiday was known as Queen's Day (Koninginnedag) and was held on April 30 in honor of the birthday of Willem-Alexander's predecessor and mother, Queen Beatrix.

Economy

Amsterdam has a long history as a major port city for the Netherlands and northern Europe. As a shipping port, Amsterdam connects the industries of central Germany to the Atlantic Ocean through the Rhine River Canal and the North Sea Canal. It also serves as a central point of connection for travel to and from destinations in Europe and Africa through the Amsterdam Schiphol International Airport. The airport is the hub for KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and is the fourth-busiest airport in Europe.

Today, Amsterdam is best known as the financial hub of the Netherlands, and the city is home to a number of major domestic and international businesses and banks. The city's favorable tax policies, excellent telecommunications infrastructure, and its highly educated and multilingual workforce have made Amsterdam a favored headquarters for major corporations. Amsterdam is also home to a thriving services industry, including banking and insurance.

Amsterdam's centrality makes it ideal for many industries. The city's other principal industries include retail and tourism. Amsterdam's tourism industry attracts an estimated 4.6 million international visitors per year. Crowds are drawn to the city for its rich history and liberal culture. Many tourists visit Amsterdam to attend the many concerts and festivals held in the city throughout the year.

While the Amsterdam Metro is a major metropolitan transit system, the most common form of transportation used by the city's residents is the bicycle. Rows of bicycles can be seen along every major street or canal in the city, and bicycle theft is one of the most common crimes in Amsterdam. Bicycle rental facilities are also located throughout the city.

Landmarks

One of the most well-known landmarks in Amsterdam is the Anne Frank House. Located in the region of Amsterdam known as the Western Ring of Canals, the attic annex of the row-house and factory shop at 263 Prinsengracht served as the hiding place for two Jewish families during the Nazi occupation of Amsterdam in World War II. The secret annex was raided on August 4, 1944, and the occupants were immediately deported to concentration camps. The story of the secret annex was made public with the publication of Frank's diary, which she kept during her time in hiding. The Diary of a Young Girl, a collection of Frank's writings first published in 1947, became a world-renowned record of Jewish persecution by the Nazis.

The most popular church of Amsterdam, the Westerkerk, is also located in the canal district. The tower of the Westerkerk is 85 meters (278.8 feet) tall and is considered a symbol of the city.

The Museumplein, or museum plaza, in the Old South district of Amsterdam is home to many of the city's most famous museums. The central museum of the Museumplein is the Rijksmuseum, or the Dutch National Museum of Art and History, which is home to some of the most famous art in the world, including the painting "Night Watch" by Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn. Another notable art museum on the Museumplein is the Van Gogh Museum. This museum features works by nineteenth-century Dutch impressionist painter Vincent Van Gogh. It also displays significant works of French painters Paul Gauguin and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, who were close friends of Van Gogh.

One famous historic home in Amsterdam is the Rembrandt House Museum. Located in the Old Jewish District of Amsterdam, the home was owned by Rembrandt from 1639 to 1658. The high mortgage payments for the home eventually forced Rembrandt into bankruptcy. Over time, the house underwent a variety of alterations and was nearly demolished in 1906. It was saved by the city and reopened as a museum in 1911.

The Dam Square Royal Palace of the Netherlands is located in the oldest part of Amsterdam and sits atop the dam for which the city was named. The palace was built between 1648 and 1665 and has been used both as a royal palace and as a city hall. The royal family often receives international guests at the palace rather than at their residence in The Hague.

Across from Dam Square is Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum of Amsterdam. This museum includes wax sculptures of famous royal personalities, world leaders, and pop culture icons.

Amsterdam is also home to the most famous zoo in the Netherlands. The Artis Zoo includes over 1,400 species of animals, including a special exhibit of domesticated Dutch farm animals.

History

What is now the city of Amsterdam began as a fishing village along the banks of the Amstel River. It is not known exactly when the area was settled, but the first references to the city appear in the thirteenth century.

Amsterdam's positioning along the North Sea made it an ideal fishing harbor, and the city's importance grew over the centuries. During the fifteenth century, Amsterdam flourished under the rule of the Burgundian Empire and attracted many famous artists and tradesmen to the region.

Eventually, the Burgundian Empire gave way to the Hapsburg Dynasty, and Amsterdam found itself under the rule of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V and his son King Philip II of Spain. It was during this time that religious and political differences arose between the Dutch and the Roman Empire. City taxes rose and centralized governments were enforced on previously autonomous localities. In addition, the rise of the Protestant Reformation brought about great persecution by the Holy Roman Empire. This was particularly troublesome in Amsterdam, where the city had already earned a reputation for religious tolerance for the sake of ease in trade and commerce. In 1568, the seventeen provinces of the Netherlands, united under William I, revolted against Philip II, thus beginning the Eighty Years War. During the war, in 1581, the Dutch provinces became unified as the Dutch Republic.

The seventeenth century was the golden age of Amsterdam. Through the creation and operations of the Dutch East India Company and the Dutch West India Company, the city became firmly established as a central trading port. Many of the city's finest historical buildings were constructed during this time, and the city enjoyed a diverse artistic culture thanks to such famous painters as Rembrandt and Johannes Vermeer.

The Dutch Republic ultimately gained independence and Amsterdam continued to thrive and prosper. However, in 1672, the Netherlands found itself again at war, this time with both France and England. The golden age of Amsterdam came to a halt as the waterways to the North Sea were blocked and both of the Dutch Indian trading companies were dissolved.

The prosperity of Amsterdam declined during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and was not revitalized until the age of industrialization. With industrialization came jobs, and the population of Amsterdam grew again as people from across the Netherlands flocked to the city to find work. During this time, the Kingdom of the Netherlands became established as a constitutional democratic monarchy under the House of Orange.

Amsterdam was spared from harm during World War I, as the Netherlands remained neutral, but the city was invaded and occupied by the Nazis during World War II. The majority of the city's large Jewish population was deported to Nazi concentration camps during the occupation. The city was liberated in May 1945. Prior to the war, Amsterdam had been the center of the world's diamond trade; however, the city's diamond industry never recovered following the decimation of the city's Jewish population, many of whom were craftsmen and businessmen in the diamond trade.

In the second half of the twentieth century, Amsterdam was revitalized by the switch toward a service-based economy from an industrial economy. Large waves of immigrants from Suriname, Morocco, and Turkey changed the ethnic makeup of the city and spurred growth in Amsterdam's neighboring cities of Purmerend and Almere. Today, Amsterdam is a prime destination for international tourists and one of the most favored cities in Europe for businesses and corporations.

Bibliography

Ethnic Amsterdam: Immigrants and Urban Change in the Twentieth Century, edited by Jan Rath and Liza Nell, Amsterdam UP, 2010.

Israel, Jonathan. The Dutch Republic: Its Rise, Greatness, and Fall 1477–1806. Oxford UP, 1998.

Jordan, Pete. In the City of Bikes: The Story of the Amsterdam Cyclist. Harper Perennial, 2013.

Nicholls, Walter, and Justus Uitermark. "Post-Mulitcultural Cities: A Comparison of Minority Politics in Amsterdam and Los Angeles, 1970–2010." Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, vol. 39, no. 10, 2013, pp. 1555–75.

Shorto, Russell. Amsterdam: A History of the World's Most Liberal City. Doubleday, 2013.

"The World Factbook." Central Intelligence Agency, United States, 20 Feb. 2024, www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/netherlands/. Accessed 27 Feb. 2024.