Friday, 7 November 2025 - 22:00
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In celebration of Amsterdam’s 750th anniversary, the city has renewed its Canon, the municipality announced. The collection features 50 “windows,” each telling a story of how Amsterdam developed into the city it is today. An independent committee, set up by the City Archives, was responsible for updating the content.
According to the city, the renewed Canon places greater emphasis on recent insights and societal developments. Topics such as the history of labor migration and the effects of climate change are now featured. The 50th window continues to be reserved for personal stories and perspectives from the people of Amsterdam.
Among the new windows are subjects covering the history of slavery and the plantation economy, highlightin…
Friday, 7 November 2025 - 22:00
Share this:
In celebration of Amsterdam’s 750th anniversary, the city has renewed its Canon, the municipality announced. The collection features 50 “windows,” each telling a story of how Amsterdam developed into the city it is today. An independent committee, set up by the City Archives, was responsible for updating the content.
According to the city, the renewed Canon places greater emphasis on recent insights and societal developments. Topics such as the history of labor migration and the effects of climate change are now featured. The 50th window continues to be reserved for personal stories and perspectives from the people of Amsterdam.
Among the new windows are subjects covering the history of slavery and the plantation economy, highlighting Amsterdam’s colonial past, the rise of the LGBTQ+ movement, and the history of Amsterdam-Noord, which was previously underrepresented.
There was criticism regarding certain subjects that have been omitted, including the murder of Theo van Gogh and the Red Light District. Van Gogh, who was known for his outspoken criticism of Islam, was murdered on November 2, 2004, in Amsterdam, by Mohammed Bouyeri, a Dutch-Moroccan Islamist extremist. Filmmaker Eddy Terstall said to AT5 that it is unwise to omit explicit mention of the murder, as it represents a significant political and religious event in the Netherlands’ recent history.
The Wallen area, which includes the Red Light District has also been left out. The exclusion of De Wallen is widely cited as one of the most striking omissions. Critics have stated that an iconic and historically significant part of the city is left out, which many see as overlooking a key and unique element of Amsterdam’s history of tolerance and trade.
At the same time, certain windows, including those on the Spaarndammerbuurt, the Amsterdam School, and the Olympic Games of 1928, have also been removed, as their themes are now incorporated into broader sections on architecture and urban development.
The canon documents Amsterdam’s history and was first compiled in 2008. The updated version is now available online at amsterdam.nl/canon.
Starting November 14, a total of 49 locations across the city will feature QR codes linking to corresponding texts and podcasts. The city is also developing special educational materials for schools. From 2026, the Canon will be included in the permanent exhibition at the City Archives’ Treasury.
The renewed Canon was created under the leadership of an independent committee chaired by Dr. Nancy Jouwe, a cultural historian and specialist in decolonization and gender, and included members such as historian Dr. Maarten Hell.
The committee consisted of prominent historians, heritage experts, and representatives from a range of cultural institutions and neighborhoods.
Reporting by ANP and NL Times