Canon of Amsterdam

Photo of author

Daneel Bouden

A can is something you should see as a source of inspirati but also as an overview of what has taken place in the past.

Also, a few relatiships have come to light some events that have in the past been understated. Now, for those still thinking we are talking about a piece of artillery, we are not.

This is about the history and e of the ways the city has chosen to portray it.

The can of Amsterdam comprises fifty windows about Amsterdam and its history.

History is at its best when it’s tangible when you can actually see what happened, you’ve read about it in the can and when you visit the spot where the event took place you can see visible evidence of the subject that was mentied.

Muments play an important part in this. The commissi that created the can choose the following subjects:

  1. the physical development of the city
  2. the development of the community in the city
  3. the administrati of the city and the organizati of the community
  4. the ecomic development
  5. the relatiship of the city towards The Netherlands and the rest of the world

Themes
Every window tells its own story but they’re also cnected to each other, the themes complement the main points and subjects chooses and which the can was to portray, namely:

  1. The city
  2. the community
  3. the administrati
  4. The ecomy
  5. The world

The development of Dam square around the year 1200 is the chosen point of departure. by way of the miracle of Amsterdam, the V.O.C., the canals, the Westerchurch, the Night watch, the royal palace, the Vdelpark, the airport, the Olympic games, WW2, the murder of Theo of Gogh we finally come to The Amsterdam Internet Exchange.

The complete can of Amsterdam csists of:

1200
Dam
Dam Square

1275
Toll privileges and city rights
Municipal rights Amsterdam

1345
The Miracle of Amsterdam

1421
The city fires
Amsterdam fire of 1421 (and the e in 1452!)

1482
The city walls
The city wall of Amsterdam

1485
The oldest account book
The account book

1535
The anabaptist revolt

1578
The alterati (cversi)

1596
The Amsterdam house of correcti
The detenti centre

1602
The Dutch East India Company

1609
The exchange bank
The exchange bank

1612
The ring of canals
The ring of canals

1617
The Spanish Brabander
The Spanish Brabander
1631
The Wester church
The Wester tower
De Wester church

1632
Athenaeum Illustre
The ‘illustere school’

1642
The Night watch
Rembrandt of Rijn

1648
Town hall
Town hall Dam Square

1662
The Blaeu firm
Blaeu

1671
High German and Portuguese synagogues
The High German and Portuguese synagogues

1683
The Society of Suriname
The Society of Suriname

1700
Country houses
Country houses

1762
Banking house Hope & Co
Hope & Co

1777
Felix Meritis
Felix Meritis

1808
The Palace dam Square
The royal palace

1828
Algemeen Handelsblad newspaper
Het Algemeen Handelsblad

1838
Artis, the zoo
Artis

1864
Palace for Volksvlijt
Palace for Volksvlijt

1876
North sea canal
The North sea canal

1885
Vdelpark and Museum square
The Vdelpark

1890
Kees de jgen
Theo Thijssen and Kees de jgen

1894
A.N.D.B.
Diamds and the ANDB

1896
Gas- and Water socialism
Gas- and Water socialism

1900
De Pijp
De Pijp

1917
Amsterdam-South
Amsterdam-South

1919
Schiphol airport
Schiphol Airport

1927
Café ‘t Mandje
Café ‘t Mandje

1928
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games

1934
The general expansi plan
The general expansi plan

1934
The Jordaan Insurrecti
The Jordaan Insurrecti

1938

Ships from the North a href=”http://amsterdamtourism.net/shipyard.html”>Ships from the North

1940
Murdering Jews
The persecuti of Amsterdamse Jewry

1945
The Hunger winter
The hunger winter

1950
The Wester tower
The Wester tower  
The Wester church  

1960
The Red Light District
The Red Light District

1965
Het Lieverdje(The darling, the dear)
Het Lieverdje

1968
The Bijlmermeer
The Bijlmer

1970
Number 14
Johan Cruijff, number 14

2001
The Dappermarkt
Markets

2004
The murder of Theo of Gogh
Theo of Gogh

2008
Amsterdam Internet Exchange
Amsterdam Internet Exchange WKIPEDIA

The Can of Amsterdam tells its story by way of recalling events. The final analysis that historians and politicians always try portray about Amsterdam is that its always been a very tolerant city. A city that was always taking in those persecuted elsewhere.

What surprises me about the Can is that it fails to menti anything about the Nieuwmarkt riots about the metro, nothing about the riots that took place about the partial demoliti of the Waterlooplein (fleamarket) nothing about building the Stopera (combinati town hall and operahouse) and nothing about the North-South underground as well. There was something about the Dappermarkt, the Blaeu firm and the Suriname club, things that nobody knows or cares about.
In the end we must cclude that the Can of Amsterdam is valuable and that it does ctain informati the citizens of this city should be aware of and that it is of historical value.

Links
To see the various windows (in Dutch) in the Can of Amsterdam: CLICK HERE
For those who wish to see the sequence AT5 broadcasted (in Dutch): CLICK HERE
If you wish to download the elucidati (in Dutch) the Can of Amsterdam: CLICK HERE