http://www.on-lineamsterdam.com/coffeeshops/index.htm

Amsterdam, the greatest planned city of northern Europe, has always been a well-known name in world history and played a central role in the history of the Netherlands. In the 17th century Amsterdam was the centre of world economy, and nowadays the city is known for its tolerant character.

Amsterdam was founded as a fishing village around the thirteenth century. Amsterdam developed round a dam in the Amstel river at the end of the 12th century. The name Amstelledamme occurs for the first time in the toll concession of Floris V, Count of Holland, dated October 27, 1275. During the 14th, but especially the 15th century, Amsterdam underwent a rapid development, which laid the foundation for the Golden Age. Only very few medieval buildings survive today. Some examples: the Old and New Churches and the Houten Huis (Wooden House) at the Begijnhof. Throughout the Middle Ages houses were generally built of wood, a vulnerable type of construction material. The famous Houten Huis is no exception to this rule. Consequently, most of them were destroyed. Nevertheless, a surprisingly large number of Amsterdam dwellings still have timber frames.

The period 1585-1672, the Golden Age, was the hey-day of Amsterdam's commercial success. At the time Amsterdam was the staple market of the world. During this period the characteristic Amsterdam cityscape developed; the 1613 and 1663 urban expansions still determine the city's characteristic appearance. Some of the most important historic buildings date back to this period, e.g. the town hall in the Dam Square (now the Royal Palace), the Westerkerk, Zuiderkerk, as well as a large number of canal houses among which De Dolfijn (Dolphin), De Gecroonde Raep (Crowned Turnip), the Bartolotti Huis, the Huis met de Hoofden (House with the Heads), the Poppenhuis, Kloveniersburgwal 95 (commissioned by the Poppen family), the Trippenhuis (built for the Trip family), the Van Raey-huizen, Keizersgracht 672-674, and Sweedenrijk, Herengracht 462.

The year 1672 was a year of disaster for the Dutch Republic with the French and English attacking simultaneously. The Golden Age had come to an end. Nevertheless, Amsterdam managed to consolidate its prosperity during the period 1672-1795 in spite of the predicament the Republic found itself in. The city remained a major staple market and managed to retain its position as the financial centre of Europe. Whereas the Golden Age was primarily a period of pitch and tar, the new era is better characterised as an age of gold and silver. The large number of dwellings built at this time, both simple ones and rich canal houses, reflect the city’s prosperity. As a result the majority of the houses located in the city centre date back to the 18th rather than the 17th century. Some examples: Huis Van Brienen, Herengracht 284, Huis De Vicq-De Steur, OZ Voorburgwal 237, Zeevrugt and Saxenburg, Keizersgracht 224.

In 1795 the government of the patrician oligarchies was overthrown and the old Republic ceased to exist. Soon the French were to occupy the country. During the period 1795-1813 Amsterdam suffered badly from the economic recession, a state of affairs reflected by the stagnation of the demographic development. Many houses were vacant and some even collapsed for lack of maintenance. Fortunately some facades and interiors dating back to the Empire period survive today. 1813-1940: Recovery and Expansion beyond the Singelgracht

The period 1813-1940 is marked by economic recovery and, from 1870 onwards, by expansion. The increasing wealth brought about a rapid population growth. This development was primarily the result of the Industrial Revolution which triggered off a New Golden Age. The city now ventured into the area beyond the Singelgracht. Large poorly built working-class neighbourhoods were built. The period 1920-1940 was a time of economic recession. Therefore it is all the more remarkable that the so-called Ring 20-40 compares favourably to the 19th century jerry-building. This was also the period of large-scale damage to the historical city centre; canals were filled in and new traffic breakthroughs were realised.

The 18th and early 19th centuries saw a decline in Amsterdam's prosperity. The wars of the Dutch Republic with the United Kingdom and France took their toll on Amsterdam. During the Napoleonic wars Amsterdam's fortunes reached their lowest point; however, with the establishment of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1815, things slowly began to improve. In Amsterdam new developments were started by people like Samuasl Sarphati who found their inspiration in Paris.

At the end of the 19th century the Industrial Revolution reached Amsterdam. The Amsterdam-Rijn kanaal was dug to give Amsterdam a direct connection to the Rhine and the Noordzee kanaal to give the port a connection with the North Sea. Both projects improved communication with the rest of Europe and the world dramatically. They gave the economy a big boost.

The industrial revolution led to a huge influx of worker migrants from the Dutch countryside into the city of Amsterdam. This occurred during the rise of socialism in Amsterdam. The Dutch authorities tried to destroy socialism by treating socialists with violence. During the 1880s and 1890s, fights between the police and the socialists occurred on a weekly basis. A notorious event was the Palingoproer (eel riots) in 1886, when 26 demonstrators were killed by the army. Another was the Orange riots of 1887, which included the destruction of a socialist pub by orangists and the arrest of the defending socialists, while the orangists were not punished at all. The most popular socialist leaders of the 1890s were those who had been in jail most of the time. One socialist was so angry with the police, that he tried to kill the chief superintendent of the police. He shot a hole in the hat of the superintendent and was sentenced for many years in jail after being beaten up by policemen. After his release, he was welcomed as a hero during a parade with a laurel wreath on his head, while people were crying in the crowded streets filled with workers from Amsterdam.

The end of the 19th century is sometimes called Amsterdam's second Golden Age. New museums, the Central Station and the Concertgebouw were built. Also built was the Stelling van Amsterdam, a unique ring of 42 forts and land that could be inundated to defend the city against an attack. Amsterdam's population grew significantly during this period.

During World War 1, the Netherlands remained neutral, but Amsterdam suffered the effects of the war when food became scarce. When working class women started to plunder a ship with army supplies, the military was brought in. Workers joined their wives in the plundering and the soldiers opened fire on them. Six people were killed and almost 100 were wounded.

In 1932 a dike separating the Zuider Zee from the North Sea, the Afsluitdijk, was completed. The Zuider Zee was no more. The new lake behind the dyke was called IJsselmeer. For the first time in its history Amsterdam had no open communication with the sea.

During World War 11, German troops occupied the city. More than 100,000 Jews were deported, famously including Anne Frank, and almost completely wiping out the Jewish community. Before the war, Amsterdam was the world's center for the diamond trade. Since this trade was mostly in the hands of Jewish businessmen and craftsmen, the diamond trade essentially disappeared.

The cultural revolution of the 1960s and 1970s made Amsterdam the magisch centrum (magical centre) of Europe. The use of soft drugs was tolerated and this policy made the city a popular destination for hippies. Squatting became widespread. Riots and clashes with the police were frequent. A grim atmosphere took hold of Amsterdam. Anarchist squaters wanted to change the local society by squatting empty buildings and buildings used for other purposes than living. This led to a strong confrontation with contractors, who were aligned with the Dutch Mafia. Amsterdam started the 1980s in an explosive manner. In 1980, while Qyeen Beatrix's coronation was being held in the New Church on Dam square, protesters outside the church fought with the police in protest against government policies. Their slogan was 'Geen woning, geen kroning' (No house, no coronation). The mayor and city council eventually had to bring in the military to get the situation under control.

During the 1980s the number of foreign immigrants, primarily from Suriname, Turkey and Morocco grew strongly. This led to an exodus of people to the 'growth cities' of Purmerend, Almere and other cities near Amsterdam. However, neighbourhoods like the Pijp and the Jordaan, which had previously been working class, became sought out places of residence for the newly wealthy yuppies and students. Amsterdam that used to be a poor city in the Netherlands turned into an economically rich city thanks to the new economical trend towards a service-economy instead of an industrial economy.

In 1992, an El Al cargo plane crashed in the Bijlmermeer in Amsterdam Zuidoost. This disaster, called the Bijlmerramp, caused the death of at least 43 people.

At the beginning of the millennium social problems such as safety, ethnic discrimination and segregation between religious and social groups began to develop. 45% of the population of Amsterdam has non-Dutch parents. Large social groups are people from Suriname, the Dutch Antilles, Morocco and Turkey. Amsterdam is characterized by its (perceived) social tolerance and diversity. The social tolerance was endangered by the murder of Dutch film-maker Theo van Gogh in November 2, 2004 by a Mohamed Bouyeri, an islamic fundamentalist. The Mayor of Amsterdam, Job Cohen, and his alderman for integration Ahmed Aboutaleb formulated a policy of "keeping things together" which involves social dialogue, tolerance and harsh measures against those who break the law.

The name Amsterdam comes from the combination of the river Amstel and the Dam that was built on it in order to found the original village know today as Amsterdam.
You might know the name Amstel as the name of a beer which was also named after the river because it was brews locally.
Amsterdam has over 1 million bikes but only 700.000 people who are living there.
When you land at Schiphol Airport, you are actually four meters below sea level.
The Netherlands has more than 4,000 km of navigable rivers, lakes and canals.
Amsterdam has over 300 coffee shops which can legally sell up to 5 grams of soft drugs to each person.
The Dutch people are are the tallest in all Europe. (and the best looking)
Amsterdam has 70 glass-topped canal boats.
The world famous Koh-I-Noor diamond was cut in Amsterdam.
75% of the entire worlds flower bulb production comes from Netherlands
The International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court are both in The Hague.
Holland has around a thousand original still working windmills.
Netherlands is the third largest exporter of agricultural products in the world even though just three percent of the Dutch population are employed in this sector. (Tulips I guess)
Holland has over 15,000 km of bicycle lanes.
Flevoland, the Netherlands twelfth province was reclaimed from the south sea which started in 1986.
Amsterdam is built entirely on piles, huge stakes driven into the ground.Central station has 6000 of them keeping it up.
Holland always has a coalition government, so it's a country of compromise and tolerance.
Every Dutch person has at least one bike and there are twice as many bikes as cars.
Holland was one of the six founding members of the European Union.
Holland's highest point is 323 meters above sea level which makes it their highest mountain.
Most Dutch people speak at least one foreign language as well as Dutch and English.
Rotterdam, once the worlds largest port has now dropped to second place so it's the second largest port in the world.
Holland and the Netherlands are the same country.
A quarter of the Netherlands is below sea level.

Source: http://onlineroom.blogspot.com/2007/12/interesting-amsterdam-at-easytobookcom.html

Amsterdam History & Culture

History

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		Amsterdam History & Culture History Amsterdam, the greatest planned city of northern Europe, has always been a well-known name in world history and played a central role in the history of the Netherlands. In the 17th century Amsterdam was the centre of world economy, and nowadays the city is known for its tolerant character. 1200-1585: The Early History Amsterdam was founded as a fishing village around the thirteenth century. Amsterdam developed round a dam in the Amstel river at the end of the 12th century. The name Amstelledamme occurs for the first time in the toll concession of Floris V, Count of Holland, dated October 27, 1275. During the 14th, but especially the 15th century, Amsterdam underwent a rapid development, which laid the foundation for the Golden Age. Only very few medieval buildings survive today. Some examples: the Old and New Churches and the Houten Huis (Wooden House) at the Begijnhof. Throughout the Middle Ages houses were generally built of wood, a vulnerable type of construction material. The famous Houten Huis is no exception to this rule. Consequently, most of them were destroyed. Nevertheless, a surprisingly large number of Amsterdam dwellings still have timber frames. 1585-1672: The Golden Age of Amsterdam The period 1585-1672, the Golden Age, was the hey-day of Amsterdam's commercial success. At the time Amsterdam was the staple market of the world. During this period the characteristic Amsterdam cityscape developed; the 1613 and 1663 urban expansions still determine the city's characteristic appearance. Some of the most important historic buildings date back to this period, e.g. the town hall in the Dam Square (now the Royal Palace), the Westerkerk, Zuiderkerk, as well as a large number of canal houses among which De Dolfijn (Dolphin), De Gecroonde Raep (Crowned Turnip), the Bartolotti Huis, the Huis met de Hoofden (House with the Heads), the Poppenhuis, Kloveniersburgwal 95 (commissioned by the Poppen family), the Trippenhuis (built for the Trip family), the Van Raey-huizen, Keizersgracht 672-674, and Sweedenrijk, Herengracht 462. 1672-1795: An Age of Gold and Silver The year 1672 was a year of disaster for the Dutch Republic with the French and English attacking simultaneously. The Golden Age had come to an end. Nevertheless, Amsterdam managed to consolidate its prosperity during the period 1672-1795 in spite of the predicament the Republic found itself in. The city remained a major staple market and managed to retain its position as the financial centre of Europe. Whereas the Golden Age was primarily a period of pitch and tar, the new era is better characterised as an age of gold and silver. The large number of dwellings built at this time, both simple ones and rich canal houses, reflect the city’s prosperity. As a result the majority of the houses located in the city centre date back to the 18th rather than the 17th century. Some examples: Huis Van Brienen, Herengracht 284, Huis De Vicq-De Steur, OZ Voorburgwal 237, Zeevrugt and Saxenburg, Keizersgracht 224. 1795-1813: Recession and Decline In 1795 the government of the patrician oligarchies was overthrown and the old Republic ceased to exist. Soon the French were to occupy the country. During the period 1795-1813 Amsterdam suffered badly from the economic recession, a state of affairs reflected by the stagnation of the demographic development. Many houses were vacant and some even collapsed for lack of maintenance. Fortunately some facades and interiors dating back to the Empire period survive today. 1813-1940: Recovery and Expansion beyond the Singelgracht The period 1813-1940 is marked by economic recovery and, from 1870 onwards, by expansion. The increasing wealth brought about a rapid population growth. This development was primarily the result of the Industrial Revolution which triggered off a New Golden Age. The city now ventured into the area beyond the Singelgracht. Large poorly built working-class neighbourhoods were built. The period 1920-1940 was a time of economic recession. Therefore it is all the more remarkable that the so-called Ring 20-40 compares favourably to the 19th century jerry-building. This was also the period of large-scale damage to the historical city centre; canals were filled in and new traffic breakthroughs were realised. Source: http://www.bma.amsterdam.nl/adam/index_e.html Decline and modernisation The 18th and early 19th centuries saw a decline in Amsterdam's prosperity. The wars of the Dutch Republic with the United Kingdom and France took their toll on Amsterdam. During the Napoleonic wars Amsterdam's fortunes reached their lowest point; however, with the establishment of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1815, things slowly began to improve. In Amsterdam new developments were started by people like Samuasl Sarphati who found their inspiration in Paris. At the end of the 19th century the Industrial Revolution reached Amsterdam. The Amsterdam-Rijn kanaal was dug to give Amsterdam a direct connection to the Rhine and the Noordzee kanaal to give the port a connection with the North Sea. Both projects improved communication with the rest of Europe and the world dramatically. They gave the economy a big boost. The industrial revolution led to a huge influx of worker migrants from the Dutch countryside into the city of Amsterdam. This occurred during the rise of socialism in Amsterdam. The Dutch authorities tried to destroy socialism by treating socialists with violence. During the 1880s and 1890s, fights between the police and the socialists occurred on a weekly basis. A notorious event was the Palingoproer (eel riots) in 1886, when 26 demonstrators were killed by the army. Another was the Orange riots of 1887, which included the destruction of a socialist pub by orangists and the arrest of the defending socialists, while the orangists were not punished at all. The most popular socialist leaders of the 1890s were those who had been in jail most of the time. One socialist was so angry with the police, that he tried to kill the chief superintendent of the police. He shot a hole in the hat of the superintendent and was sentenced for many years in jail after being beaten up by policemen. After his release, he was welcomed as a hero during a parade with a laurel wreath on his head, while people were crying in the crowded streets filled with workers from Amsterdam. The end of the 19th century is sometimes called Amsterdam's second Golden Age. New museums, the Central Station and the Concertgebouw were built. Also built was the Stelling van Amsterdam, a unique ring of 42 forts and land that could be inundated to defend the city against an attack. Amsterdam's population grew significantly during this period. 20th century During World War 1, the Netherlands remained neutral, but Amsterdam suffered the effects of the war when food became scarce. When working class women started to plunder a ship with army supplies, the military was brought in. Workers joined their wives in the plundering and the soldiers opened fire on them. Six people were killed and almost 100 were wounded. In 1932 a dike separating the Zuider Zee from the North Sea, the Afsluitdijk, was completed. The Zuider Zee was no more. The new lake behind the dyke was called IJsselmeer. For the first time in its history Amsterdam had no open communication with the sea. During World War 11, German troops occupied the city. More than 100,000 Jews were deported, famously including Anne Frank, and almost completely wiping out the Jewish community. Before the war, Amsterdam was the world's center for the diamond trade. Since this trade was mostly in the hands of Jewish businessmen and craftsmen, the diamond trade essentially disappeared. The cultural revolution of the 1960s and 1970s made Amsterdam the magisch centrum (magical centre) of Europe. The use of soft drugs was tolerated and this policy made the city a popular destination for hippies. Squatting became widespread. Riots and clashes with the police were frequent. A grim atmosphere took hold of Amsterdam. Anarchist squaters wanted to change the local society by squatting empty buildings and buildings used for other purposes than living. This led to a strong confrontation with contractors, who were aligned with the Dutch Mafia. Amsterdam started the 1980s in an explosive manner. In 1980, while Qyeen Beatrix's coronation was being held in the New Church on Dam square, protesters outside the church fought with the police in protest against government policies. Their slogan was 'Geen woning, geen kroning' (No house, no coronation). The mayor and city council eventually had to bring in the military to get the situation under control. During the 1980s the number of foreign immigrants, primarily from Suriname, Turkey and Morocco grew strongly. This led to an exodus of people to the 'growth cities' of Purmerend, Almere and other cities near Amsterdam. However, neighbourhoods like the Pijp and the Jordaan, which had previously been working class, became sought out places of residence for the newly wealthy yuppies and students. Amsterdam that used to be a poor city in the Netherlands turned into an economically rich city thanks to the new economical trend towards a service-economy instead of an industrial economy. In 1992, an El Al cargo plane crashed in the Bijlmermeer in Amsterdam Zuidoost. This disaster, called the Bijlmerramp, caused the death of at least 43 people. At the beginning of the millennium social problems such as safety, ethnic discrimination and segregation between religious and social groups began to develop. 45% of the population of Amsterdam has non-Dutch parents. Large social groups are people from Suriname, the Dutch Antilles, Morocco and Turkey. Amsterdam is characterized by its (perceived) social tolerance and diversity. The social tolerance was endangered by the murder of Dutch film-maker Theo van Gogh in November 2, 2004 by a Mohamed Bouyeri, an islamic fundamentalist. The Mayor of Amsterdam, Job Cohen, and his alderman for integration Ahmed Aboutaleb formulated a policy of "keeping things together" which involves social dialogue, tolerance and harsh measures against those who break the law. Source: http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Amsterdam Interesting facts about Amsterdam & the Netherlands The name Amsterdam comes from the combination of the river Amstel and the Dam that was built on it in order to found the original village know today as Amsterdam. You might know the name Amstel as the name of a beer which was also named after the river because it was brews locally. Amsterdam has over 1 million bikes but only 700.000 people who are living there. When you land at Schiphol Airport, you are actually four meters below sea level. The Netherlands has more than 4,000 km of navigable rivers, lakes and canals. Amsterdam has over 300 coffee shops which can legally sell up to 5 grams of soft drugs to each person. The Dutch people are are the tallest in all Europe. (and the best looking) Amsterdam has 70 glass-topped canal boats. The world famous Koh-I-Noor diamond was cut in Amsterdam. 75% of the entire worlds flower bulb production comes from Netherlands The International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court are both in The Hague. Holland has around a thousand original still working windmills. Netherlands is the third largest exporter of agricultural products in the world even though just three percent of the Dutch population are employed in this sector. (Tulips I guess) Holland has over 15,000 km of bicycle lanes. Flevoland, the Netherlands twelfth province was reclaimed from the south sea which started in 1986. Amsterdam is built entirely on piles, huge stakes driven into the ground.Central station has 6000 of them keeping it up. Holland always has a coalition government, so it's a country of compromise and tolerance. Every Dutch person has at least one bike and there are twice as many bikes as cars. Holland was one of the six founding members of the European Union. Holland's highest point is 323 meters above sea level which makes it their highest mountain. Most Dutch people speak at least one foreign language as well as Dutch and English. Rotterdam, once the worlds largest port has now dropped to second place so it's the second largest port in the world. Holland and the Netherlands are the same country. A quarter of the Netherlands is below sea level. Source: http://onlineroom.blogspot.com/2007/12/interesting-amsterdam-at-easytobookcom.html



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