In January 1632 two internationally acclaimed scientists, Caspar Barlaeus and Gerardus Vossius, held their inaugural speech in the Athenaeum Illustre - the illustrious school - which had its seat in the 14th-century Agnietenkapel. This school is commonly regarded as the predecessor of the University of Amsterdam or UvA.
In 1815 Athenaeum Illustre was legally acknowledged as institute of higher education. In 1877, the Athenaeum was transformed in the municipal University van Amsterdam. The professors were appointed by the city council and the mayor presided the university administration. Nothing changed until 1961. In that year, Dutch national government took control of financial responsibility.
Amsterdam's International Institute of Social History is one of the world's largest documentary and research institutions concerning social history, and especially the history of the labour movement.
Amsterdam's Hortus Botanicus, founded in the early 1600s, is one of the oldest botanical gardens in the world, with many old and rare specimens, amongst which the coffee plant that served as the parent for the entire coffee culture in Central and South America.
Amsterdam is known as one of the most bicycle-friendly cities in the world and is a center of bicycle culture.
Strikingly enough, Amsterdam takes the lead again: approximately one fifth of the population had not used any drugs - including alcohol and tobacco - in the month preceding the survey.
However, this estimation was based on the cannabis use in Amsterdam and on a national survey that was carried out in schools.
Amsterdam has considerably more 'singles' and young adults, i.e., groups with a generally higher prevalence of use.
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