History of Amsterdam

  
1250The fishing village of Amsterdam is founded on a dam at the river Amstel (Amstelredamme).
1300The port town of Amsterdam is growing and receives city rights.
1489Amsterdam becomes a member of the Hanseatic League.
1567Spanish troops devastate the city of Antwerp, many residents flee to Amsterdam.
1581The provinces of the Union of Utrecht declare independence from Spain.
1585Amsterdam is growing fast, the city area is being doubled.
1602The Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie (VOC) United East India Company is founded. It becomes one of the most powerful trade organizations in the world at that time. The VOC could wage war on its own and annex foreign countries.
1612New Amsterdam, today's New York City, is founded by Dutch merchants. At the same time, the canal belt will be laid out in "old" Amsterdam, which will triple the urban area by 1663.
1619Batavia (Jakarta) the center of the Indonesian spice route is founded by the VOC. The city was named after the "Batavern", a Germanic tribe who lived in the Netherlands (Roman province of Belgica) in Roman times.
1621The West India Company is founded.
1637The tulip mania leads to the first stock market crash in history. Tulip bulbs were sold at astronomical prices and the steadily rising prices led to a speculative bubble that burst in 1637.
1640The VOC establishes a trading office in Nagasaki, Japan.
1648The Netherlands are fighting for independence after 80 years of war against Spain.
1652The VOC founds the city of Cape Town as a supply post in South Africa on the spice route to Indonesia.
1784In the United States War of Independence, the Netherlands lost their fleet in the battle against England.
1795France conquers the Netherlands.
1806 Napoleon imposed the continental block on England and thus brought the Dutch sea trade to a standstill until 1814.
1815Napoleon is defeated at Waterloo, which at that time belonged to the United Netherlands, by the British under Wellington and Prussia under General Blücher. 67,000 British and 48,000 Prussians defeated 72,000 French soldiers. Napoleon was exiled to the island of St. Helena, where he died in 1821.
1853The Haarlemermeer is being drained to gain land.
1870New districts are emerging in the south of Amsterdam.
1920Land reclamation begins in the IJsselmeer.
1939Amsterdam is occupied by German troops and the Jewish population is deported. Including Anne Frank, who fled with her family from Frankfurt to Amsterdam to escape the Nazis.
1945Amsterdam survived the Second World War unscathed.
1949The Dutch colonies become independent.
1977The first underground line goes into operation.
2000Amsterdam has 715,000 inhabitants.
2021The population of Amsterdam rises to over 800,000.
  
  

 

 

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History of Amsterdam

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