History History

Foundation of Amsterdam, a small fishing village situated on a dike protecting it from the Amstel River.

Amsterdam obtains its official status as a city issued by the Bishop of Utrecht.

The medieval canals are dug.

Following several serious fires, wooden facades and thatched roofs are prohibited.

Coup d'état and declaration of the independent republic of the Seven United Provinces in 1579 with William of Orange at its head

This is the beginning of the golden century, a period of global prosperity for the city. The great belt of the canals is dug to accommodate the great patrician residences

The East India Company (VOC) is founded. It brings prosperity to the area.

Birth of the Amsterdam Stock Exchange, the first in the world, making Amsterdam the financial capital of the world.

Born in Leiden in 1606, this miller's son learned painting techniques in Jacob van Swanenburg's studio. In 1624, he moved to Amsterdam and Pieter Lastman's studio. Rembrandt set up on his own in Leiden, and his studio became famous. At the age of 24, he returned to Amsterdam. He signed The Anatomy Lesson of Doctor Tulp, a painting that broke with the laws of the genre. This painting launched Rembrandt on the Amsterdam scene. Commissions poured in.

Among the first portraits he painted in Amsterdam were two of the young Saskia, a burgomaster's daughter, whom he married in 1634. At the age of 33, rich and famous, he bought a large bourgeois house, the Rembrandthuis, in the Jewish quarter, amidst his magnificent collection of paintings and objets d'art and a studio full of students.

His wife died in 1642. Rembrandt faced financial difficulties. He devotes himself to formal research, with numerous biblical scenes or wandering around Amsterdam. His public was bewildered by a body of work that had become too audacious. With his successive mistresses, the painter attracted the wrath of the Calvinist Church.

In 1657, ruined, he moved into his discreet house on the Rozengracht, where he continued to paint with the same determination(Saul and David, The Return of the Prodigal Son...).

His son and his companion founded a successful art business, and the master returned to a certain prosperity. In 1664, Hendrickje, his second wife, died, followed four years later by Titus, his only child. It was then that the master painted his last major canvas, The Jewish Bride. He died in solitude on October 4, 1669.

René Descartes settles in Amsterdam. For several years, he moved between different cities and regions of the Netherlands, where he wrote and published various works, sometimes anonymously.

England and France at war with the Republic, beginning of decline.

Rembrandt van Rijn painted The Night Watch, probably the most emblematic painting of the Golden Age.

A burgomaster, writer and art collector, he was a key figure in the flourishing Dutch Golden Age. A friend of the poet Joost van Vondel and Rembrandt, he wrote plays, the most famous of which, Medea, is illustrated by Rembrandt. His portrait by Rembrandt is a landmark work. Part of the family's collection (Collection Six) can be viewed at the Rijksmuseum during temporary exhibitions, or in a magnificent mansion on the Amstel, which can only be viewed by registering months in advance.

The Netherlands became part of Napoleon's Empire, and Amsterdam became the capital of the Zuyderzée department.

The Ajax Amsterdam Football Club is founded

The Netherlands remained neutral during the First World War.

Born Annelies Marie Frank in Frankfurt, this German child came to live in Amsterdam in 1933 to escape anti-Semitic persecution. When Amsterdam came under German occupation in 1940, the family went into hiding in a secret apartment at the back of their father's business on Prinsengracht, known as Anne Frank House. From this hiding place, she wrote her diary, covering the period between June 1942 and August 1944. Deported with her family, Anne died of typhus in the Bergen-Belsen camp.

Germany invades the Netherlands. Over 100,000 Jews are deported from Amsterdam.

The book Het Achterhuis (The Diary of Anne Frank) is published.

The Provo movement is booming and a wind of freedom is blowing over the capital.

Ajax won three European championship titles.

Beatrix becomes Queen of the Netherlands as squatter riots occur during her enthronement in the new church on Dam Square.

The first same-sex marriage is celebrated in Amsterdam by Mayor Job Cohen. The Netherlands is the first country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage.

Director Theo Van Gogh, great-grandson of art dealer Theo Van Gogh, Vincent Van Gogh's brother, is murdered in the streets of Amsterdam by Mohammed B. The latter is sentenced to life imprisonment, a sentence rarely imposed in the Netherlands.

The Netherlands votes no in the referendum on the Treaty establishing a European Constitution.

Willem Alexander becomes the new king of the Netherlands. Beatrix becomes a princess again.

The Rijksmuseum reopens after more than 10 years of work. The French architect Jean-Michel Wilmotte was in charge of the redevelopment of the galleries.

A legendary striker nicknamed the Flying Dutchman, he placed Ajax Amsterdam in the firmament of world soccer. Charismatic on and off the pitch, he was awarded the Ballon d'Or 3 times, won 3 consecutive European Club Cups in 1971, 1972 and 1973, and was a finalist in the 1974 World Cup in Argentina. As a coach, he helped FC Barcelona shine in the 1990s. He died of lung cancer in 2016, the former inveterate smoker involved in the fight against tobacco.

In the parliamentary elections, Mark Rutte's VVD won, but it took more than eight months to form a government.

The players from the Netherlands become European football champions at a euro event in the Netherlands.

Amsterdam Mayor Eberhard van der Laan dies after a public and well-publicized battle with lung cancer.

In the municipal elections, the Greens won and Femke Halsema, the former leader of the party, became the first mayor of the capital at the age of 52

Leader of the left-wing environmentalist party between 2002 and 2010, she became mayor of Amsterdam in 2018 following the death of Eberhard van der Laan. She comes from the PVDA, which she left in 1997 following the strong security management at the European summit in Amsterdam. She leaves politics in 2011 and then works as a freelance writer and journalist. Her return to politics was announced at Amsterdam City Hall. She was officially sworn in in July 2018 and became the city's first mayor.

The 'Noord-Zuid lijn', the new metro line that connects the north and south of the capital, is inaugurated. This is after gigantic and controversial works that lasted more than 15 years. The line is a real technical feat considering the complexity of the city's terrain.

Lawyer Derk Wiersum, defending a key witness in the trial of two criminals accused of murder and drug trafficking, is murdered on the street in a quiet district of the capital. A national crisis ensues. The municipality of Amsterdam publishes the report "Het achterkant van Amsterdam" (The Underbelly of Amsterdam), revealing the extent of drug trafficking in the capital.

The city and the country are celebrating the Rembrandt Year on the occasion of the 350th anniversary of his death. Beautiful exhibitions are organised all over the country but especially in Amsterdam at the Rijksmuseum and Rembrandthuis.

Outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte wins the parliamentary elections and prepares a coalition with the center-left D66 party.

The Covid crisis was managed in the Dutch style, with constant dialogue and a culture of compromise. From an "intelligent" containment in the first wave, the country had to move to a stricter containment with curfew (a heresy in the country) which gave rise to unprecedented violence in January 2021. The impact on tourism was immense. However, the fallout from Brexit already seems to be bearing fruit, with many companies setting up in Amsterdam.

In the wake of the crisis, tourism linked to cannabis and prostitution has taken off again, with its share of nuisances. To deal with the rise in violence, Femke Halsema, the city's mayor, proposed that cannabis sales be restricted to residents of the city. But faced with the anger of shopkeepers who feared that their establishments would be closed (66 coffee shops would be enough to meet local demand, yet there are 166 in the city...) and the fear of seeing a black market develop, she took the initiative by proposing an alternative: to relocate the red light district outside the city. This plan is currently under study. To be continued.

In spring 2023, the Rijksmuseum hosted the exhibition of the century devoted to Johannes Vermeer. With 28 paintings, this was the largest exhibition devoted to the Delft master, and probably the last on this scale. Only 37 of the painter's paintings are known, so to bring together 28 of them is no mean feat. The exhibition broke all records and tickets were snapped up.

The government, 4ᵉ in name, of Mark Rutte fell over an issue relating to migration policy. In the wake of this, Mark Rutte announced his departure from politics, provoking a veritable media whirlwind. The man they called Mr Teflon, who seemed to be able to withstand anything, was not indestructible after all. For thirteen years, he was at the head of the government, and his "reign" was synonymous with a rapprochement with France and a post-Brexit period that benefited the country. However, he and his government also divided the country over the environmental measures imposed on farmers, marking the rise of a new BBB party. For the nostalgic, don't worry, he'll stay in first place until the next elections and the next government, which may still take some time.

The PVV (Freedom Party), led by Geert Wilders, won 37 of the 150 seats in the parliamentary elections, a historic victory for the party.

October 27, 2025 marks 750 years of Amsterdam, an exceptional anniversary celebrated throughout the year with festive events that illustrate the city's rich historical heritage, as well as its current cultural and social influence. The festivities kicked off in style on October 27, 2024, with an inaugural concert at the Ziggo Dome featuring national artists. Several emblematic events are also part of the festivities: SAIL Amsterdam, a spectacular maritime parade held every 5 years, the TCS Amsterdam Marathon and the Kwaku Festival, an annual multicultural gathering, each of which celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2025.