Amsterdam
History of Amsterdam
Geert Mak, in his book Amsterdam - A brief life of the city (1999) quotes Jan Wagenaar, one of the first historians of the city, who wrote in the 18th century that "the origin and early growth of Amsterdam are hidden in a thick mist of doubtfulness and uncertainty".
On the other hand, there is little doubt that by the 17th century, Amsterdam had become the most important city in the Dutch Republic, so the Dutch Golden Age was also Amsterdam's Golden Age. Amsterdam's merchants traded with countries all over the world. Amsterdam was the leading financial centre of the world and had led the world in the development of banking and investment. At this time, England was the main rival in world trade and London was Amsterdam's main rival as a financial centre. In the mid-1660s, the population of the city was about 200,000.
Amsterdam was governed by a body of regents, a large, but closed, oligarchy with control over all aspects of the city's life, and a dominant voice in the foreign affairs of Holland. Only men with sufficient wealth and a long enough period of residence within the city could become regents. They spent heavily on the water-ways and other essential infrastructure, and also built hospitals, churches and almshouses for the elderly.
Amsterdam's wealth was generated by trade, which was, in turn, sustained by opening the city to entrepreneurs, regardless of their origin. This "open door policy" has been interpreted as proof of a tolerant ruling class. But toleration was practiced for the convenience of the city. Therefore, the wealthy Sephardic Jews from Portugal were welcomed and accorded all privileges except those of citizenship, but the poor Ashkenazi Jews from Eastern Europe were far more carefully vetted and those who became dependent on the city were encouraged to move on. Similarly, provision for the housing of Huguenot immigrants was made in 1681 when Louis XIV's religious policy was beginning to drive these Protestants out of France; no encouragement was given to the dispossessed Dutch from the countryside or other towns of Holland. The regents encouraged immigrants to build churches and provided sites or buildings for churches and temples for all but the most radical sects and the native Catholics by the 1670s (although even the Catholics could practice quietly in a chapel within the Beguinhof).
During the 17th and 18th century, Amsterdam was a city where immigrants formed the majority. Most immigrants were Lutheran Protestant Germans. The enormous impact of German immigration can be seen nowadays in the surnames, which are often German. It was not hard to find work as a craftsman, but craftsmen were forced to join guilds, to serve in the city patrol and to cooperate in the local district to compete with other districts. These were powerful institutions that resulted in quick integration, especially since all these institutions were mainly filled with immigrants or children of immigrants. The city council of Amsterdam consisted of people with all kinds of backgrounds: Dutch, German, Flemish, French, Scottish.
Decline
The 18th and early 19th centuries saw a decline in Amsterdam's prosperity. The wars of the Dutch Republic with the United Kingdom and France took their toll on Amsterdam. During the Napoleonic wars, Amsterdam's fortunes reached their lowest point; however, with the establishment of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1815, things slowly began to improve. In Amsterdam new developments were started by people like Samuel Sarphati who found their inspiration in Paris.