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We begin with a stunning birdseye view of old Amsterdam in the 1920's. The area surrounding Amsterdam's central station has for long been a hub that attracts many tourists. The station was designed by architect Pierre Kuypers and built between 1881 and 1889. Its style is very similar to the Rijksmuseum, also designed by this architect. In front of the station near the water we see the Noordhollands Koffiehuisje, later het Smits Koffiehuisje. The old city of Amsterdam is one of the most picturesq places in the world. The houses that border Amsterdam's canals, the so-called 'grachten' have distinct facades. There are various types of gables: The clock, step, point and neck gables, easily recognizable by their shapes. A great location is the area near the Nicolaas Kerk not far from the Central Station called “Het Kolkje“. The Nicolaaskerk with its characteristic dome is one of the remarkable buildings that comes into sight as soon as you arrive at the Central station. This beautiful basilica was built in 1887 and certainly worth a visit. Amsterdam is well known for its canals, the so called grachten. Three canals that are constructed in a semi circle surround the old center: The Keizersgracht, Prinsengracht and Herengracht. In the summer these canals are filled with sightseeing tour boats. In earlier ages they formed a vital infrastructure for the delivery of goods that arrived at Amsterdam harbour. We see the Ronde Lutherse Kerk, built between 1668 and 1671. It was damaged a number of times by fire. On the way to the Dam we pass the Beurs van Berlage by Hendrik Petrus Berlage and built between 1989 and 1903. Arriving at the Dam you will see the Royal Palace by architect Jacob van Campen and built between 1648 and 1665. Going further into old Amsterdam you are bound to encounter the Munttoren with its nearby floating flower market. The Scheepvaarthuis on the Jan Hendrikkade was built in 1913 and the home of 6 major shipping companies. The characteristic Waag at the Nieuwmarkt, built in the 15th century, used to be one of the entrance gates to the old city, called the Sint Antoniespoort. Another great gate to old Amsterdam is the Muiderpoort at the Alexanderplein and built around 1770. The Stadsuniversiteit building dates from 1632 and was elevated to university status in 1877 Not far from the rear of the Rijksmuseum, opposite the museum Plein is the great Concertgebouw building. Its acoustics are world renowed. The Rijksmuseum is a “must-see“ for any tourist. Not only does it house the famous Nachtwacht (Nightwatch) painting by Rembrandt van Rijn, but the museum also has a huge collection of works by the Dutch masters from the 17th century. Its gardens are also most certainly worth a visit. When you say Amsterdam then Rembrandt is a name that immediately springs to mind. The place where he worked and lived in de Jodenbreestraat, the socalled Rembrandthuis, built in 1606 is an interesting place to visit. There is also a cinema theater which bears his name. It is located at the Rembrandt Plein square. Here we see huge crowds in 1919 flocking to watch the film “De Koningin der Aarde“ with Mia May in the lead. The video also shows great shots of the Leidse plein with its many kiosks. The Spinozahuis is where famous Dutch philosopher Spinoza lived in the 17th centure before he moved to The Hague. Spinoza was a radical who criticized the Bible, something that was “not done“ in that period. Another prominent citizen of Amsterdam was poet and playwrite Joos van den Vondel, famous for two tragedies: Gijsbrecht van Aemstel from 1637 and Lucifer from 1654. The Vondelpark with his statue in recent years has been a magnet for hippies and protest marches. Amsterdam always was a city of joy. Here we see a number of street artistst in action. Almost everybody in this city owns a bike and has done so since bicycles were invented. Alike Antwerp many Jewish people lived in Amsterdam for cemturies; the diamond industry being one of their core trades. The famous Cullinan diamond, one of the British Crown Juwels, was cut here in the workshop of the Koninklijke Asscher Diamant Maatschappij. An unspoiled quiet spot in old Amsterdam was and still is the Begijnhofje, founded in the 14th century, where nuns have their domicile. Despite Amsterdams century long roll dating from the VOC period as trade hub, large parts of the city remained poor. We see some working class neigbourhoods. The harbour of Amsterdam is the second largest in the Netherlands, after Rotterdam. It used to be directly connected to open sea until the IJsselmeer got closed of by the Afsluitdijk in the 1930s. This is exceptional footage of old Amsterdam. We see old trams in the city as early as in 1919 near the Waterlooplein and on the Blauwe Brug. Here are trams near the Willemspoort. The Montelbaanstoren at the Oudeschans dates from 1516. Source: Beeld En Geluid Music: Trevor Kowalski and others.
