A community of unmarried pious Catholic women, the Beguines, have been living in this small court since the 14th century. At that time, Roman Catholicism was the country’s established religion. But in 1578, Amsterdam changed from being a Catholic to a Protestant city and Catholicism was banned. The Begijnhof was the only institution allowed to remain Catholic, on the strict proviso that they kept their practices behind the courtyard walls. They were forced to give up their church building but it was an open secret that the Beguines had their own chapel. Andthe city authorities decided not to take action. Even today, there are still unmarried women living in the houses. It is a popular tourist attraction in Amsterdam, and in fact it’s become so popular that the Beguines have decided to introduce opening hours for the general public. Please take your time to explore the place. After you have done that, you can leave the Begijnhof by the exit next to house number 38. 

Begijnhof

The Maagdenhuis is the University of Amsterdam's administrative centre. In the 1960s, this building was the scene of student protests. In May 1968, French students had revolted in Paris against their outmoded educational system. Amsterdam followed suit a year later. A year later in 1969, a large group of students occupied the Maagdenhuis, demanding a greater say in affairs and more democracy. ‘Just empty slogans’, was how the highest-ranked official in the University dismissed their protest. Five days later, the police took forceful action to end the occupation. They found that 208 of the 660 young people occupying the building were not to students at all. These days, too, educational reforms are a hot topic and students are still protesting, even if things are no longer quite as heated as in the 1960s. Directions: Now cross the square towards the Athenaeum bookshop. Can you see a bronze statue there? That's the next location.

Maagdenhuis

This statue is called ‘Lieverdje’, which means‘cheeky lad’. There were a number of incidents involving this statue in the tumultuous 1960s, when various movements were rebelling against traditional authority. It all started when the artist Jasper Grootveld used the ‘Cheeky Lad’ as the site of his protest against the tobacco industry, on the grounds that the statue had been donated by a tobacco manufacturer. A few years later, the anti-authoritarian Provo movement came into being. They made demands for a whole range of changes to society and had a range of strategies to provoke the authorities. They took action on behalf of nature, the environment, emancipation, renewal and more democracy. Many of their protest actions centred on this statue. It often got dressed up in a light-hearted way but it also got daubed with paint and once was even kidnapped. Provo was disbanded on 13 May 1967, as the group claimed they had achieved their goals. Directions: Now enter Spuistraat (street).

Lieverdje

House number 216 in Spuistraat is called Vrankrijk; it is one of the most important centres for squatters in Amsterdam. People have been squatting here since 1982 but it is also a place to meet up; it has its own debating room and small concert hall. Let’s go back in time, to the 1980s: it was a time of economic problems and there were hundreds of vacant properties in the city. Well they were empty until the squatters arrived, who were mostly young and left-wing. This squatting happened on a huge scale. Officially it was forbidden, or at least largely forbidden. The authorities didn't enforce the ban if you could prove that the premises had been empty for a year or more and that you had installed a table, chair and bed. Even so, the police regularly evicted squatters. These evictions were accompanied by considerable violence and often led to controversial scenes. In May 2010, the Upper House of the Dutch Parliament passed a law banning squatting for good and ended the policy of non-enforcement. The Vrankrijk residents are in no danger of being evicted as the house has been owned by an official squatters’ foundation since 1991. The squatters’ café, however, was closed by the municipality after a fight broke out in 2008. Directions: Now walk on and turn right at the corner to enter Paleisstraat (street).

Vrankrijk

Vrolijk gay shop is a Gay and Lesbian bookshop and has has been open since 1984. Here you can find informative books, magazines, DVDs and CDs covering all aspects of homosexuality, things you would not find so easily in a standard bookshop. For example, lesbian couples can find information here about adopting a child; teachers can find material to use when discussing this subject at school; parents who suspect their child might be gay but are not sure how to broach the subject can also find support here. There is also a section for children and young people. Directions: Carry straight on towards Dam Square.

Vrolijk

At any time of day or night, there are always people thronging around the steps of the National Monument, which commemorates the victims of the Second World War. Many tourists are amazed at how this monument gets treated. People use this monument as a place to eat, smoke and dance. In the 1960s, Dam Square was a renowned meeting point for young people from all over the world. At night it was one big open-air hotel. On peak days, there could be up to one thousand 'Dam sleepers'. When an official ban on sleeping there was introduced, people just ignored it - This was a source of great irritation for the Dutch marines in particular. On 25 August 1970, the marines decided to take it into their own hands to clean up Dam Square and they evicted the young people in a heavy-handed fashion. The hippies didn't come back. Instead, they settled in Vondelpark, where they were left in peace. Directions: Turn right past the monument to the start of Damstraat (street).

Dam sleepers

You are now standing at the entrance to Damstraat (street). In this street on 20 August 1983, a 15-year-old boy called Kerwin Duinmeijer from the Dutch Antilles was brutally murdered. It was said that Kerwin had been stabbed because of the colour of his skin, although the murderer has always denied this. The day after his burial, 5,000 people protested against this alleged 'racist' murder. The community went into shock. Every year on 20th August, the Friends of Kerwin foundation organises an event to commemorate the murder : a march from Dam Square to Vondelpark, where a statue has been erected in memory of Kerwin. The foundation also provides information about racism and discrimination. Directions: Don't go into Damstraat (street). Instead, walk along Pijlsteeg (lane), next to Hotel Krasnapolsky.

Kerwin Duinmeijer

In the 15th century, this lane and what is now Damstraat were the only places in the city where prostitution was tolerated. Amsterdam was growing in importance as a port and the increasing number of sailors coming ashore led to an increase in the number of brothels. There was a need for some way to monitor and control these ‘women of easy virtue’ and so in around 1450 this area was established as a place where prostitution would be tolerated. The Sheriff of Amsterdam, who was responsible for law and order, decided he would carry out the supervision himself. These days, the world-famous 'Red Light District' is situated a little further along, in the vicinity of Oudezijds Voorburgwal (street). This district, known as the Wallen in Dutch, which means embankments, is one of the city's biggest tourist attractions. Directions: Walk to the end of this lane and turn left.

Pijlsteeg

Number 90, Oudezijds Voorburgwal (street) is the home of the Bulldog coffee shop. It was founded in 1975 and it’s one of Amsterdam's oldest coffee shops. The policy of tolerating drugs began in the 1970s as an experiment and has been criticised continuously ever since. Since 1976, a distinction has been made between hard drugs, such as cocaine and heroin, and soft drugs, such as pot. Only soft drugs are tolerated, in small quantities. Anyone aged 18 or older can buy and smoke soft drugs in one of the many coffee shops. Since December 2008, there has been a ban on smoking in public areas throughout the Netherlands, but smoking soft drugs is still permitted. Strictly speaking, you are not allowed to smoke cigarettes in a coffee shop but you can smoke a joint without tobacco. The problem is that it is not exactly clear what the situation is regarding supervision of these rules. Another example of a strange rule is that you are allowed to have up to four cannabis plants at home but you can't put them under a grow light because that is illegal. Directions: Keep walking straight on along the canal towards the Oude Kerk (or Old Church).

The Bulldog

Number 40, Oudezijds Voorburgwal looks like a normal canal-side house, but appearances can be deceiving as the house hides a clandestine church in the attic. After 1587, Catholics were no longer allowed to practice their religion in public, but the Protestant city authorities were occasionally prepared to turn a blind eye, because they knew that clandestine churches existed. Even back then, Amsterdam had a policy of non-enforcement, in this case regarding the various religious denominations in the city. In 1887 Catholics were granted permission to build churches again and from that date onwards there has been no need for clandestine churches. The attic church here, Ons’ Lieve Heer op Solder (or “Our Lord in the Attic”), became a museum, making it one of the oldest museums in the city. Directions: Walk to the end of Oudezijds Voorburgwal (street) until you get to Sint Olofsteeg (lane).

Our Lord in the Attic

The ‘t Mandje café can be found on Zeedijk (street). It was founded in 1927 by Bet van Beeren, who has become something of a legend in the city. It is the oldest gay café in Amsterdam and used to be the leading meeting place for gay men and lesbians. Bet, who stood behind the bar for 40 years, had strict rules: ‘You can hold hands but you can’t kiss in the café’. She was a well-known character in Amsterdam, riding through the city on a motorbike in a leather suit with her girlfriend sat behind her. For years, Amsterdam was known as the gay capital of the world. On the night of 30 March to 1 April 2001, Amsterdam was even the site of a historic first when the first official marriage of two people of the same sex took place. In fact,four weddings took place that night at the same time: 3 male couples and 1 female couple got married at midnight as soon as the new law came into effect. Directions: Carry straight on along Zeedijk (street).

't Mandje

This huge yellow building is the He Hua temple or “Lotus Flower Temple, the largest Chinese Buddhist temple in Europe. The temple, situated in the heart of Amsterdam’s Chinatown, was officially opened in 2000. You will find a variety of different Asian restaurants and shops in this area, such as the Indonesian stores known as tokos. Did you know Amsterdam has more nationalities than any other city in the world? Amsterdam has been a city of immigrants since the Dutch Golden Age in the 17th century. These immigrants bring their own religions: today, 17% of the population of Amsterdam is Christian, 14% Muslim and 56% non-religious. Feel free to look inside the temple, as non-Buddhists are welcome as well. Directions: Carry straight on until you reach a square.

He Hua Temple

Nieuwmarkt is a lively square. It contains what used to be Amsterdam’s weighing house, or Waaggebouw, which originally served as one of the city gates. In former times, Nieuwmarkt marked the boundary of the Jewish district. From the 16th century onwards there was a considerable influx of Jewish refugees from Southern and Eastern Europe. They came to the city after being expelled from their homelands or fleeing persecution. Amsterdam welcomed them with open arms and they were allowed to practice their own religion, but they were still subject to certain rules. Here the Jews weren’t forced to live in ghettos although they did tend to settle in the same district, the so-called Jewish district. You can still see a number of synagogues at the end of Jodenbreestraat (street). 

Jewish District

Amsterdam has a reputation as a tolerant city where you can do whatever you want and everyone is welcome. Foreigners were writing about the amazingly tolerant atmosphere in Amsterdam right back in the 17th century, inspired by people from different backgrounds and with different beliefs living in the city side by side. Outsiders are still surprised today at how anyone can walk into a coffee shop for a joint or go to the red light district for paid sex. Gay couples can get married and euthanasia is permitted. But is that the whole story? The real situation is more subtle and complex. In this tour you will learn about some unusual places and stories, all associated with the theme of 'freedom of expression in Amsterdam'. The route takes about one and a half hour. The first stop is the Begijnhof. If you are starting at theAmsterdam Museum, you are advised to exit through the Civic Guards Gallery. Half way along the lane, on the right, you will find the gate to the Begijnhof. This walk is one of a series of Amsterdam DNA Tours: thematic routes through the city linked to the Amsterdam DNA exhibition. Check out all four routes on Enterprise, Freedom of Thought, Creativity and Civic Virtue. Enjoy your walk!

Amsterdam

Amsterdam DNA - Freedom of Thought

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