Amsterdam [antikvár]

History"Not a single Roman ruin, no trace of Charleniagne, not even a Romanesque church or cathedral." Nothing, in other words. The introduction to a famous book on Amsterdam leaves no doubt whatsoever: of the European cities, Amsterdam is the most recent and the most lacking in an ancient past and distant patrimonies. It is quite understandable: some years ago this city celebrated its seventh centenary. No traces were left by the Batavians, who sailed up the Rhine to land at the mouth of the Amstel. The Romans did not pay much attention to these unhealthy, marshy lands subject to dangerous flooding. And not even the Holy Roman Empire or Charlemagne managed to establish longlasting control over these foggy coasts. The Netherlands remained divided in small domains owned by feudal lords, counts, dukes and bishops. Yet maybe this historical gap was Amsterdam's fortune, enabling this future commercial capital of the Western world to expand freely without being restricted or conditioned, modelled by intelligent, open-minded town-planners who acted on ba-half of a cultured, refined middle class. Unlike most European cities, Amsterdam is not the result of the wordly ambitions of a sovereign or emperor, but it is a city built entirely by rich traders and lovers of beauty.The original centre of Amsterdam was created in about 1200 when the Waterlanders from the North moved to the mouth of the Amstel in search of more secure, fertile land. They built a small fishing village around a castle erected on a dyke - Dam in Dutch - which, separating the Amstel from the IJ. a wide arm of the Zuidersee, protected their huts from flooding. The dyke stood on the very spot where the Royal Palace was to be built centuries later.It was Florent V, one of the numerous local lords, who noticed the village unimaginatively named Amstelredamme, or dyke on the Amstel, by its inhabitants. The count granted the village exemption from customs duties to establish free trade. Never was a decree so well-timed; unwittingly, Florent V was the initiator of the trading fortunes of the Amsterdam that was to be. The business acumen of the fishermen saw to the rest. They improved their seafaring ability and travelled the oceans, going as far as Portugal to buy salt and crossing the Baltic for timber. They did not lack inventiveness, like unknown Beukels who discovered a way to preserve herrings, which greatly increased his earnings. Amsterdam also grew internationally; it adhered to the Han-seatic League in 1358 and then to the Cologne League in 1367, becoming a hub.It was also lucky enough to be the scene of a miracle in 1345. A consecrated host that refused to burn when it was thrown into the fire is "the miracle of Amsterdam"; in short, the little town became the destination of non-stop pilgrimages. The