National Monument, with the Hotel Krasnapolsky in the right background.

Dam Square, or simply the Dam (Dutch: de Dam) is a town square in Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands. Its notable buildings and frequent events make it one of the most well-known and important locations in the city. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1536x2048, 486 KB) Description National monument lit by sun against dark storm clouds. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1536x2048, 486 KB) Description National monument lit by sun against dark storm clouds. ... A town square is an open area commonly found in the heart of a traditional town used for community gatherings. ... Amsterdam Location Flag Country Netherlands Province North Holland Population 742,951(1 January 2005) Coordinates 52°22′N 4°54′E Website www. ...

Location and description

The Dam in 2005 with a view of the Royal Palace and the Nieuwe Kerk.

Dam Square lies in the historical center of Amsterdam, approximately 750 meters south of the main transportation hub, Centraal Station. It is roughly rectangular in shape, stretching about 200 meters from west to east and about 100 meters from north to south. It links the streets Damrak and Rokin, which run along the original course of the Amstel River from Centraal Station to Muntplein (Mint Square). The Dam also marks the endpoint of other well-traveled streets, Nieuwendijk, Kalverstraat and Damstraat. A short distance beyond the northeast corner lies the main red-light district, de Wallen. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 656 KB) Summary Source: [1] View of Dam Square, Amsterdam, 2005. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 656 KB) Summary Source: [1] View of Dam Square, Amsterdam, 2005. ... Koninlijk Paleis The Royal Palace in Amsterdam (Koninklijk Paleis te Amsterdam in Dutch) is one of three palaces in the Netherlands which is at the disposal of Queen Beatrix by Act of Parliament. ... The Nieuwe Kerk is a landmark church in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. ... Amsterdam Centraal station at night Amsterdam Centraal (Asd) is the Centraal Station (Central Station) of Amsterdam. ... A birdseye view of Amsterdam circa 1544, looking south. ... The Amstel Length 12  km Elevation of the source -  m Average discharge -  m³/s Area watershed -  km² Origin  Amsterdam Mouth  Bullewijk Basin countries Noord-Holland Amstel is the river in the Netherlands from which Amsterdam took its name. ... The De Wallen red-light district in Amsterdam. ... The red light district in Amsterdam De Wallen, also known as Walletjes or Rosse Buurt, is the largest and best-known red-light district in Amsterdam, a major tourist attraction. ...

On the west end of the square is the neoclassical Royal Palace, which served as the city hall from 1655 until its conversion to a royal residence in 1808. Beside it are the 15th-century Gothic Nieuwe Kerk (New Church) and the Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum. The National Monument, a white stone pillar erected in 1956 to memorialize the victims of World War II, dominates the opposite side of the square. Also overlooking the plaza are the Grand Hotel Krasnapolsky and the upscale De Bijenkorf ("The Beehive") department store. These various attractions have turned the Dam into a tourist zone. The square abounds with city pigeons, popular for birdfeeding. Koninlijk Paleis The Royal Palace in Amsterdam (Koninklijk Paleis te Amsterdam in Dutch) is one of three palaces in the Netherlands which is at the disposal of Queen Beatrix by Act of Parliament. ... The Nieuwe Kerk is a landmark church in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. ... Madame Tussauds and the London Planetarium Madame Tussauds is a wax museum in London, with branches in Amsterdam, Hong Kong ( Victoria Peak), Las Vegas, Copenhagen and New York City. ... Combatants Allies: Poland, British Commonwealth, France/Free France, Soviet Union, United States, China, and others Axis Powers: Germany, Italy, Japan, and others Casualties Military dead:17 million Civilian dead:33 million Total dead:50 million Military dead:8 million Civilian dead:4 million Total dead:12 million World War II... Interior of a typical Macys department store. ... Binomial name Columba livia ( Gmelin, 1789) The Rock Dove (Columba livia), or feral pigeon, is a member of the family Columbidae, Doves and Pigeons. ... Birdfeeding is the activity of feeding (and usually observing) wild birds. ...

History

The Dam in 1544, as an actual dam in the Amstel. View faces roughly southwest. At right are the old town hall and the Nieuwe Kerk.

The Dam derives its name from its original function: a dam on the Amstel River, hence also the name of the city. Built in approximately 1270, the dam formed the first connection between the settlements on the sides of the river. Image File history File links Dam_Amsterdam_1544. ... Image File history File links Dam_Amsterdam_1544. ... Scrivener Dam, in Canberra, Australia, was engineered to withstand a once-in-5000-years flood event A dam is a barrier across flowing water that obstructs, directs or retards the flow, often creating a reservoir, lake or impoundment. ...

As the dam was gradually built up it became wide enough for a town square, which remained the core of the town developing around it. Dam Square as it exists today grew out of what was originally two squares: the actual dam, called Middeldam; and Plaetse, an adjacent plaza to the west. A large fish market arose where ships moored at the dam to load and unload goods. The area became a center not only of commercial activity but also of the government, as the site of Amsterdam's town hall. City Hall is a 1996 film directed by Harold Becker. ...

As a market square, the Dam had a weigh house that can be seen in some old paintings. It was demolished in 1808 by order of Louis Bonaparte who, upon taking up residence in the newly converted Royal Palace, complained that his view was obstructed. The Market square (or sometimes the market place) is a feature of many British and other European towns. ... Louis Bonaparte Louis Napoleon Bonaparte (Lodewijk Napoleon in Dutch) (September 2, 1778 - July 25, 1846) was the fifth surviving child and fourth surviving son of Carlo Buonaparte and Letizia Ramolino. ...

The Damrak, or the former mouth of the Amstel River, was partially filled in in the 19th century; since then, the Dam square has been surrounded by land on all sides. The new land made room for the Beurs van Zocher, a stock exchange that was built in 1837. After the stock trade moved to the Beurs van Berlage in 1903, the Zocher building was demolished. In its place, De Bijenkorf department store has stood since 1914. | Queen Victoria, Queen of the United Kingdom (1837 - 1901) 1837 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... Beurs van Berlage The Beurs van Berlage is a building on the Damrak, in the center of Amsterdam. ...

In 1856, a war memorial named De Eendracht (The Unity) was unveiled inside the square before King William III. A stone column with a female statue on top, the monument acquired the nickname "Naatje of the Dam." It was taken down in 1914. This memorial in England lists the names of soldiers who died in the First World War. ... King William III (Willem Alexander Paul Frederik Lodewijk of Orange-Nassau) (February 17, 1817 – November 23, 1890) was King of the Netherlands and Grand Duke of Luxembourg (1849–1890). ...

Several tram lines traverse the Dam and have stops there. In the time of the horse tram (end 19th century) the Dam was the most important tram hub of Amsterdam. After 1900 this function moved to the Stationsplein (Station Square). Luas - tram system in Dublin, Ireland Volkswagen Cargo-Tram in Dresden on a section of grassed track. ... A horsecar was an animal-powered streetcar (or tram). ...

Over the course of the 19th and 20th centuries, Amsterdam's main square became a "national" square well-known to nearly everyone in the Netherlands. It has frequently been the location of demonstrations and events of all kinds, and a meeting place for many people. On 4 May every year, the Dutch celebrate National Memorial Day (Nationale Dodenherdenking), in observance of which the last addition to the square, the National Monument, was set up in 1956. On May 4 in the Netherlands the dead of World War II are remembered. ...

The Dam with the weigh house, late 1600s by Gerrit Berckheyde.

The Dam around 1900 with horsecars and the monument Naatje van de Dam.

Download high resolution version (1081x770, 136 KB)Amsterdam, Dam square, Jan Adriaensz. ... Download high resolution version (1081x770, 136 KB)Amsterdam, Dam square, Jan Adriaensz. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1293x946, 1128 KB) Amsterdam: Paleis op de Dam, Palace on the Dam, between 1890 and 1900. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1293x946, 1128 KB) Amsterdam: Paleis op de Dam, Palace on the Dam, between 1890 and 1900. ... A horsecar was an animal-powered streetcar (or tram). ...

External links

• 360-degree panorama of the Dam Square
• Satellite image from Google Maps