Amsterdam Museum
Amsterdam is an unconventional and captivating city, with an unusual and intriguing past. It’s therefore quite fitting that the city should have an exciting – and even entertaining – museum dedicated to its history. The Amsterdam Museum (formerly known as the Amsterdam Historical Museum) is a fascinating place to get a glimpse of Amsterdam’s chequered and colourful past.
A visit to the Amsterdam Museum gives visitors a great understanding of how the city grew from a small medieval town to a world-famous capital, and recounts the major events that happened here. And best of all, it does this in a fun and interactive way. There are masses of exhibits, loads of interactive displays, films in Dutch and English and some beautiful paintings and other city gems – like the intriguingly-named “Snotnose” barrel organ!
New Exhibition: Amsterdam DNA
Short on time but still want to discover more about the history of Amsterdam? From 9 September 2011, the Amsterdam Museum is introducing a new exhibition - Amsterdam DNA. This "whistle-stop tour" is a 45-minute overview of the highlights of Amsterdam history, designed for visitors with less than an hour to spare. It focuses on what makes Amsterdam unique: specifically entrepreneurship, free-thinking, creativity and citizenship. The multimedia exhibition breaks Amsterdam down into nine key periods in history, offering highlights and low points of each. Be sure to set aside 45 minutes during your trip to Amsterdam to enjoy this interactive glimpse at our fine city.
Amsterdam’s Interactive History
The Amsterdam Museum has two entrances which disguise the sheer size of this complex. The museum is housed in magnificent buildings, which were home to the city’s orphanage from 1520 to 1960. Along with all the usual things you expect to find in the museum, there are also surprising objects that bring the past to life. Try your hand at hoisting a horse out of a canal, hang out in some classic cars, or ring a doorbell in the Bijlmer to get a dose of oral history.
Highlights of the Amsterdam Museum
Clear signs guide visitors through the specific periods or themes, like the Young City, the Mighty City or the Modern City. A multimedia map also takes visitors on a Grand Tour through Amsterdam's history. Museum goers shouldn't miss the fascinating temporary exhibitions regularly on offer.
Museum highlights include:
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Bird's-eye View of Amsterdam, c. 1538 is the city’s oldest surviving map, where south points up and north points down.
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Pietà, c. 1450 This statue was found inside a coffin during excavations in the graveyard
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The Anatomy Lesson of Dr Jan Deijman, 1656 by Rembrandt van Rijn shows Dr Jan Deijman dissecting a brain while his assistant holds the crown of the skull. The operating table appears to protrude out of the picture.
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The Snotnose barrel organ was a silent witness to a massacre on Dam Square on 7 May 1945, two days after the liberation. A large crowd had gathered on Dam Square waiting for the Allied army to enter when German troops opened fire. Many people took cover behind the barrel organ.
The Miracle of Amsterdam
Also on display at the Amsterdam Museum is a wooden chest that has a rather miraculous history dating back to 1345. Legend has it that the undigested host administered to a dying man resisted burning after being regurgitated by the man and thrown into the fire. For more than 200 years, the city was witness to processions proclaiming the Miracle of Amsterdam, during which the wooden chest supposedly holding the regurgitated host was carried through the streets. Later, the chest was stored in the attic of the orphanage which now houses the museum, where sick orphans who sat on the chest were apparently often cured!
The Amsterdam Museum reflects the tolerance, enterprising spirit and individuality of the city – and brings it to life! A visit to this fascinating museum will certainly give you an even better understanding of the city.
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