Page 32 - All About History - Issue 18-14

What was it like?

AMSTERDA

In a period of dynamic change in the
Netherlands O
Netherlands, Amsterdam served as a w
Amsterdam O
beacon of freedom of religion, thought

speech during its golden age

uled by a Catholic Spanish king ignorant of As Protestant and Jewish refugees of religious
their religious beliefs, Spanish colonies in persecution flooded into the city, Amsterdam
the Netherlands led a revolt in the mid-16th transformed from a tiny port into one of the
century which lasted longer than any other foremost worldwide centres for trade and
Rrebellion in European history. Although commerce. Residents enjoyed intellectual toleran
initially squashed by the Spanish king Philip II, the denied in their own countries and books about
mass uprising plunged Spain into a war against religion, science and philosophy that could not
the rebellious northern provinces. The northern have been produced elsewhere found their way
districts took advantage of their financially crippled across oceans from what was now the publishing
enemy and established the Republic of the Seven house of the world. In this progressive atmosphe
United Netherlands in 1581. The war waged on and artists turned their attention from the lofty biblical
much of the southern Netherlands remained under scenes of old to finding the subtle beauty in
Spanish rule, but the new republic threw its doors everyday scenes of realism. This was Amsterdam’s
open to a whole new world of trade, education and golden age, where the city enjoyed its greatest-ever
religious freedom. period of cultural and financial prosperity.
Anton van Leeuwenhoek
is considered to be the
‘Father of Microbiology’
Education

Great importance was placed on Technology
education in the Netherlands at this Amsterdam attracted a host of highly
time, with the city boasting five skilled and innovative thinkers who were
world-renowned universities, which drawn to the freedom of intellectual
foreign students flocked to attend, thought the city offered. The pendulum
with medicine a popular area of clock, an important development in
study. The focus on education also timekeeping, was created by Christiaan
aided the publishing trade, with Huygens, while the field of microbiology
progressive books on philosophy, was born when Anton van Leeuwenhoek
religion and science that other used simple magnifiers to first study
countries shunned being published microscopic life.
in their thousands.

Government
This was a time of major political
upheaval – having declared independence
from Spain, the Netherlands stood as
a republic surrounded by monarchist
regimes. There was no strong central
authority in Amsterdam and power
changed hands between elected members
of the elite, with a city government
comprising of 20 to 40 councillors.

Amsterdam University was founded
in 1632 and became a centre for
excellence in medical teaching

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