Dutch Republic, Amsterdam City Museum

Dutch Republic – Never has the Netherlands been so wealthy and powerful as in the 17th century, the Golden Age.

In the Eighty Years’ War(1568-1648) the Dutch expelled their Spanish rulers and established an independent state. Unlike most of Europe, the new country was not a kingdom but a republic. Power was in the hands of the Burghers.It was not long before the Republic of the Seven United Provinces became one of Europe’s leading nations, constantly warring with its neighbours.

The country grew rich on trade and shipping. Dutch vessels sailed the world’s oceans. In the Dutch Republic, products and raw materials from across the world were stocked, processed and distributed. Merchants amassed fortunes and art and culture flourished.

Amsterdam City Museum
The Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam is a museum in Amsterdam for modern and contemporary art and design, founded in 1874. In 1895 the museum opened on the Paulus Potterstraat, near the Rijksmuseum.

From 1909 the collection area concerned contemporary art and later photography and design. In the course of the twentieth century, the museum was internationally regarded as one of the most influential museums for twentieth-century art.

The motto is a quote from Bertold Brecht: “It is democratic to turn a small circle of connoisseurs into a large circle of connoisseurs.”