Amsterdam: As Dutch As Dutch Can Be

Admittedly, the history of Amsterdam is fairly recent than other Dutch cities

, with the oldest reference to the city made on a certificate dated October 1275, but it is as Dutch as can be. It is, after all, the capital city of The Netherlands and almost everything that happens of any importance to the destiny of the country will be experienced in Amsterdam in one way or another.

Such importance is reflected in the many sights and sounds that will be experienced as a tourist in the city of windmills, orange kisses and 500-year old XXX symbol.

Amsterdam is a charming city that offers surprises in almost every corner with the feeling that months are necessary to discover them all. In that case, book a holiday apartment online so that your accommodations are taken cared of for the months of exploration in the city.

Amsterdam was granted its city rights either in 1300 or 1306. Regardless of the ambiguity of its origins, the city indisputably flourished from the 14th century onwards because of trade and commerce with the Hanseatic League.

It was in the 16th century when the Dutch people revolted against Spain with the center at Amsterdam, which led to the Eighty Years' War and the subsequent granting of Dutch independence. The newly-minted Dutch Republic soon acquired a reputation for tolerance, which is most reflected in the capital city.

It was in the 17th century when the seeds of progress during the last century took root. Amsterdam's Golden Age is still unsurpassed to this day in and outside the city.

It was considered the wealthiest city of the world with its critical importance in the trade and commerce between cities stretching the globe from Europe to Asia and the Americas, many countries of which eventually became Dutch colonies.

But there is always the fall after the glory. The period from the 18th-19th century saw the sharp decline of Amsterdam in world affairs, no thanks to the country's war with both England and France. When Holland became part of the French Empire, Amsterdam reached its lowest point in its 500-year history.

The Amsterdammers are anything but weak, fortunately. When the 19th century rolled to a close, the city once again entered the Golden Age. New buildings like museums, train stations and concert halls sprouted; the Industrial Revolution came to the city; and trade and commerce became the city's most dominant economic feature.

The First and Second World Wars expectedly had a great effect on the city even when it chose to remain neutral. With the invasions came the people's starvation, the deportation of the Jews and the destruction of many monuments in the city. It was a hard time to be an Amsterdammer, indeed.

True to Dutch resilience, the rise during the two Golden Ages and the falls during the two World Wars are part of Amsterdam's history. No matter the glory and the gory events that come to the city, it will stand and stand proudly. It is, after all, the city of the proud Dutch.

by: Gaizka Pujana

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