What made Amsterdam so rich?A short Economic History of Amsterdam
July 9, 2020
In the building of the three canals around the old medieval city, the city council had three goals in mind: beauty, utility and profit. Profits were mainly made on the sale of the new plots of land that came within the city limits. These plots were used for housing and the relocation of industry, both easily accessible via the new waterways. Of course the aesthetics of the city was also a goal, as you still see.
Amsterdam was already known for its beauty in the 17th century. What was unique was that when the canals were built, the streets were paved and lined with trees. Elm trees were planted on these new canals as well as the existing canals.
What is unknown to most tourists (and even so to native Amsterdammers), is that behind the houses on the Herengracht and on the Keizersgracht are large and hidden gardens. The city council stipulated that the purchased plots could be built up to a maximum depth of 30 meters. The rear part had to become an ornamental garden. These gardens (“tuinen” in Dutch) are still protected by a law (a “keur”) of November 19, 1615, and are therefore called “Keurtuinen”.
Amsterdam is a very green city. In total there are 31,000 elms along the canals and another 240,000 other trees along roads and avenues in the rest of the city. That is 1 tree for every 3 inhabitants. Compared to Paris which has 1 in 22.
Of course, the abundance of water and the reflection of the arch bridges and gables in it emphasize the view of the city. The canals were not only dug to adorn the cityscape, but also to be used for water transport.
Even more important, of course, are the facades along the canals. There are still almost 9000 antique canal houses in the city. The gables are all very different and follow the fashion of the time. They are very diverse.
The further layout of the facades, the size and position of the windows, the number of floors and the height of the floors shows a large unity. The facades are flat and balconies are missing. Many do not notice, but there are also hardly any rain drains. The rainwater was collected indoors in a dirty water well and was used for, among other things, to wash the dishes.
Due to the flat facades, the equal size and layout of the houses and the height of the bottom floor in particular, the cityscape shows a unity. And yet all the houses are unique.
"Unity in diversity" applies not only to the Dutch population, but is also an important feature of the beauty of Amsterdam.
