Amsterdam (North Holland, Netherlands)
Top Cited Papers
- 28 October 2013
- book chapter
- Published by Taylor & Francis
Abstract
Although Amsterdam's strategic economy necessarily has tied it to the turbulent political history of of Holland and, later, the Netherlands, for much of its history the city has enjoyed a great degree of independence. The Hague to the south eventually became the locus for the princely courts and intricacies of political administration, leaving Amsterdam free to develop as the Netherlands' economic powerhouse and cultural capital. Toward the end of the fourteenth century, Holland began to challenge the monopolistic and nearly impregnable Hanseatic League, with the Dutch aggressively pursuing trade with England, the Baltic countries, and the west coast of Europe. Amsterdam remained pro-Spanish, however, even during an uprising in 1568 by the northern provinces of the low countries. In the spirit of tolerance that had reigned in Holland, the idealistic William, now as stadholder of the northern provinces, sought peaceful coexistence among Protestants and Catholics. Architects from 1612, complemented the city's plan with a series of new edifices.Keywords
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