Historisch Museum

The Amsterdam Historisch museum tells the long tale of the city of Amsterdam. As you walk through the different exhibits on the many floors of the building, it is as if you are walking through time. The journey begins with the founding of a little town along the Amstel river and how it grew into an important trade community. It is fascinating to read (and see diagrams) of how the canal systems and dikes were built. And there is an interatvie demonstration that shows the growth in population, trade, and modes of transportation through the years.







Suits of armor worn by the Dutch Royal Army.



Jewelry that has been handed down through the royal family.



A "horn of plenty" made from an animal horn and laced with silver embellishments. This horn was actually used by the royal families of long ago for entertaining puposes.





A little-known Rembrant painting, this was created when Rembrant was asked to make illustrations for medical research. Many books of illustrations were found, along with a number of full size paintings. This one shows a physician dissecting a brain.




Jagger took one look at this painting and said "Mommy, take my picture with this one!" And then he promptly ran over and stood in front of the painting and said "Cheese"! Given Jagger's Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia birth defect and subsequent abdominal surgery, it is ironic that he chose to stand in from of a painting that depicts a physician dissecting an infant's intestines.




This is an actual yellow star that the Jews were required to wear during the Nazi occupation of Holland. I am currently reading a book entitled "The Frank Family that Survived". It is about a family of wealthy Jews who lived in Berlin. They fled Germany during Hilter's regin, heading toward the "neutral" country of Holland. After living near the Hague for a few years, they were forced to relocate to Amsterdam, as Jews were no longer permitted to live near the coast, for fear they would aid a British invasion. Myrtle Frank and his family then went into hiding in an apartment in the Hague, only a few doors away from a Nazi command center. Mother, Father, and two teenage daughters hid in the apartment for three years before they were allowed to again walk freely in the streets. There are many similarities between this Frank family, and the Otto Frank family (of which Anne Frank was a part) - the one major difference is that this family was able to survive the horror.


Amsteram history wouldn't be complete without information about the liberal Dutch policies on drugs and prostution. The museum has an interesting display, along with photos and video footage, of the Hippie Movement of the 60's and 70's, of which Amsterdam was at the center.




Jagger stands in front of a marijuana "coffee shop" of the 70's.




Here, Jagger stands in front of an advertisement for a "Smart Shop". The Smart Shops carry herbal energy drinks, herbal supplements, and hallicunagenic mushrooms.