1580 -1672: The Golden Age

During 'The 80-year war' (the struggle to become independent from Spain), Amsterdam build chips for the Dutch, as well as for the Spanish enemy and was not involved in the war itself.

During this period the characteristic Amsterdam cityscape developed.

1672-1795: The Dutch .. merchants and clergyman at the same time ....

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 this period 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 center of Europe.

The large number of dwellings built at this time, both simple ones and rich canal houses, reflect the towns prosperity. As a result the majority of the houses located in the city center date back to the 18th rather than the 17th century.

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. 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

This is marked by economic recovery and, from 1870 onwards, by expansion. Even in 1939 Holland was the second largest colonial power in the world ! The increasing wealth brought about a rapid population growth. This development was primarily the result of the Industrial Revolution. 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.

This was also the period of large-scale damage to the historical city center; canals were filled in and new traffic breakthroughs were realized.

1940-1945 World war II

With the exception of a few misdirected allied air raids, the city suffered little damage in terms of bombing or battles. But the large Jewish community was decimated - deportation to the death camps literally cost Amsterdam 10% of its people. And the starvation winter of 1944/45, killed more.

The Jewish Deportations still are traumatic memory to the Dutch people. It's sad and crazy that some journalist from today say ' the Amsterdam people didn't avoid the deportations' ... they forget how brutish the Germans punished people who did help the Jews ! Many families - like Anne Frank and her family - went into hiding. Anne's world-famous diary tells their story. Eventually the Frank family were betrayed and deported to Auschwitz. All died with the exception of Anne's father.

The defeat of the British and Polish airborne forces at the Battle of Arnhem in 1944, isolated the northern part of the Netherlands. With the German armies under pressure on all fronts, supplies dried up. The starvation winter of 1944-45 claimed countless lives in Amsterdam. To get wood to fuel their fires, people pulled down thousands of empty houses - often those of deported Jewish families. Germany surrendered on 5 May 1945, and two days later Canadian troops liberated Amsterdam.

1945-1970 The New Spirit ...

After the war, the city faced the challenge of revitalizing its two most important generators of prosperity ,the sea- and air-ports. There was a housing backlog to be cleared away, and the city's roads would have to be rebuild to cope with growing traffic.

Schiphol airport grew apace and now ranks high among European airports in terms of volume - and higher in terms of service. Obviously this expansion has had a positive and a less-positive impact on the nearby city. Meanwhile, enhancing Amsterdam's access to the North Sea was an ongoing priority. The harbor mouth, canals and locks were regularly enlarged and improved.

With the independence of the former Dutch colony Indonesia (after a doubtful 3 year during military intervention ... the Dutch Administration scared a communist regime in Indonesia), many Indonesian people came to Holland they were the forerunners of the present multicultural and colored Amsterdam !

But when prosperity grew in the 'sixties', many people worried about the quality of life. The young were finding that they had a voice, and they were using it to challenge the traditional hierarchy. It was the time the 'Provo' movement, flower-power and protest. John Lennon and Yoko Ono had their legendary sleep-in at the Amsterdam Hilton. The explosion of youth culture in Amsterdam hit the headlines worldwide. Hippies and back-packers flocked to the city. They slept in the Vondelpark and even around the national monument on Dam Square until this was banned in 1970. This "right wing trick" choked the progressive part of Holland and it set off a era of left wing mayors in Amsterdam.

1970- now ..

Ever since the early 'sixties two conflicting ideas on Amsterdam have struggled for mastery - business and productivity versus livability and living space. One - business-driven - school of thought wanted up scaling of Amsterdam as a product in its own right, and as a center of production. Opposed to this was an ideal of the city as a place to live and meet, as a hot-house for new ideas. All this was happening at a time of fundamental change in Dutch society.

Livability is the priority, but Amsterdam has never down-played its relish for business. The rich opportunities are evidenced by the number of major international corporations choosing the Amsterdam region as their European gateway. Today's slogan is Holland Main port / Brain port, so major attention to trade, research and education. There are two Amsterdam universities: University Of Amsterdam and De Vrije Universiteit

Today's cultural picture is as dynamic and vibrant as ever, but politicians and citizen are faced with the problems of these times: senseless violence to people, drug abuse and the gradual isolation of people.