700th anniversary celebration of Amsterdam in 1975

On January 2, 2025, the 750th anniversary of Amsterdam will be celebrated postally with the issuance of a five-stamp sheet. With near certainty, I do not expect an image of the Amsterdam population as a social subject on any of the stamps. The reason? In 1975, the Amsterdammer in procession formation was already featured on the commemorative stamp. Whether city maps will be used is also doubtful. Let's avoid repetition. Nevertheless, in this article, I call for visual attention to the Dam of 'Amsterdam,' showcasing several facets throughout the centuries.

700 years of Amsterdam

In 1975, the city's seven-century existence was socially commemorated with the issuance of three commemorative stamps, featuring a seemingly long procession of Amsterdam residents depicting the comings and goings (mobility and activity) of Amsterdam and its population. Subsequent reactions revealed that not everyone lived in Amsterdam! A procession of pedestrians crossing Muntplein has been projected onto the current Amsterdam city map of the Public Works Department surrounding the Royal Palace on Dam Square. Design duo Paul Mijksenaar and Jan van Toorn selected this photo collage of people arriving and departing from Dam Square as the city's center from 143 black-and-white photos (subsequently colorized by photographer Hilda Guntenaar). Despite the reduction of the topographical map to postage-stamp size, written responses indicate that a number of people believed they recognized themselves in the procession, such as the people cut out with scissors: the central figure with the goat-hair trimmed coat is Paul Molenaar from Bovenkarspel, and diagonally behind him, wearing a red hat, walks his fiancée, José van der Pal. The man in the raincoat and glasses in the bottom right is Amsterdammer L. Groeneveld. Five people in the background are walking to the left, while the others in the foreground are walking to the right. In this way, the arriving and departing Amsterdammer is depicted in a figurative, both literal and figurative, metaphorical sense throughout the centuries. The diagonally placed text 'Amsterdam 700 years' supports this dynamic movement of the population and the city.

The Dam and changes

In the Amsterdam municipal archives lies a charter signed by Count Floris V on February 27, 1275. The origin and founding of the city are based on this oldest authentic document (toll-collecting privilege), in which the name Amsterdam was mentioned for the first time. Questionable, nonetheless. The settlement at the mouth of the Amstel already consisted of approximately 1000 inhabitants at that time! Indeed, an 'outdated' birth certificate. During the Napoleonic era, the Weigh House on the square was demolished by order of King Louis Napoleon. The reason? Seen from his private residence (City Hall / Royal Palace on Dam Square), this cube-shaped building severely spoiled his view! The predecessor of the National Monument on Dam Square was the statue 'De Eendracht' (Naatje van de Dam), which commemorates the glory of the Ten Days' Campaign (August 1831, the separation of Belgium from the Netherlands). At the top stood the 4-meter-high statue of the Dutch Maiden. It was dismantled due to the arrival and construction of the railway in 1914 for the electric tram. “Dear Naatje, do not cry. Now that you will soon see the demolishers. You have stood on Dam Square long enough, old and stiff, deformed and lame.”

Amsterdammertjes

The origin of the use of the 'Amsterdammertjes' (charming bollards at the edge of the sidewalk in the capital) dates back to the 19th century to prevent freight carriers of the time from parking their horse and cart too close to houses. This street furniture has been cursed many times when parking and unparking cars. Now, the function of the bollards is being replaced by higher curbs.