Page 72 - A History of the World in 25 Cities

In NuMbers
Number of bridges:
Life in
So exactly how did the little city of Amsterdam come to conquer the world? There were three main factors. Firstly, the city’s stock exchange was a new idea and meant that merchants could spread their investments so they wouldn’t lose all their money if one ship sank. Secondly, the people of Amsterdam were said to be extremely hardworking and many were well educated. And lastly, the country had a history of seafaring, with skilled and experienced sailors.
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Population of Amsterdam today:
Amsterdam is built on swampland and is really a collection of islands. It’s most famous for the impressive 100-kilometre
network of canals that earned Amsterdam the nickname of ‘Venice of
the North’. The very first canal acted as a defensive moat around the city.
During its so-called Golden Age, more canals were built, with plots for large, expensive homes sold along the sides. In 1613, the city authorities started an even more ambitious programme of canal building, creating canals
that were two to three metres deep. New parts of the city were carefully planned so that roads, canals and bridges all linked up.
Number of islands:
Population of Amsterdam in 1670s:
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The Golden Age of Amsterdam was also a golden
age for its art world. Artists found themselves in the happy position of sharing the city with a large number of rich merchants with money to spend.
One of the stars of the art world was Rembrandt van Rijn, who moved to Amsterdam when he was a young man. He and his students churned
out portraits for anyone who could pay them, especially wealthy merchants. Rembrandt was
well known for his grumpy manner, but his audience
loved his work and his art studio became one of the largest in Holland.
He is recognised as one of the greatest painters who ever lived.
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