When you are visiting Amsterdam you will be in a position to experience the 17th Century first hand and on location. This was the scene where all the movers and shakers of the Golden Age resided. Amsterdam was the place where capitalism was invented, under the influence of the wealth of a number of families who traded tobacco, spices and merchandise from the Far East.
The ripples of all their wealth reverberated throughout the city and its many professional guilds, generating an inspiring art and architecture scene. Buying art and building merchant’s mansions was part of general Amsterdam culture, engendering the rise of the famous Dutch masters like Rembrandt van Rijn. Add to this vibrant society a relative social tolerance and the attractions this had for foreign craftsmen, merchants, scientists and philosophers, and you will understand that the Golden Age was pretty much golden indeed.
How you familiarise yourself with the ins and outs of this part of Amsterdam’s history depends largely on your personal taste, as there is pretty much something for everybody. Even walking around in the centre of town, you will not escape the notion that you are immersed in glories of days gone by. Here’s a few options to acquaint yourself with history:
Museum van Loon
One of the best and most extensive ways to get to know about the 17th century and its splendour is by making your way to Museum Van Loon. Housed entirely in an original 17th Century family dwelling, the museum will give you a unique insight into how a typical VOC, or the Dutch East India Company founding family lived. The Van Loon family was ultra rich and are considered one of the most powerful dynasties at the time. Their house is almost completely in its original state and includes an authentic carriage house. This museum’s collection comprises paintings, antique furnishings and objects.
Museum Geelvinck
In case you are not really all that interested in the VOC and want to find inspiration in the domestic lives of 17th century patrician families, museum Geelvinck is for you. This is another mansion dedicated to documenting in detail the way a typical 17th century family lived. The Geelvincks were probably even wealthier than the Van Loons, as their residence is located on what’s dubbed ‘the Golden Bend’ of the Herengracht, which was where the most wealthy people resided.
Albert Geelvinck and his wife Sara Hinlopen both belonged to regent families, so it figures. This residence is lovely in case you are interested in finding out first hand how the upper classes conducted their lives. The museum gives you access to ornamental 17th century gardens, as well as the various salons where the Geelvincks entertained their guests and, like in the Van Loon museum, there is a lot of exotic art on display.
Hire a tour guide
If you wouldn’t mind picking the brains of an expert about that book you’ve read about Amsterdam’s history, or are up for a general in-depth treatment of the 17th century era, why not have a tour guide tell you first hand what they know? Dutch historian Murk Dijkstra who runs History Trips, is your man. He specialises in historical tours. Dijkstra will give you all the detail you wish to hear about the Dutch expansion and the economic boom which form the backdrop to the Golden Age. In a lively tour, he will point out architectural styles from the different decades as you walk around the original walled city and along various canals and walkways in the Old Town. Plenty of anecdotes and Dijkstra’s professional historian insights add that extra perspective on Dutch history and culture.
Whatever you decide to do, make sure you have your camera ready!
