Today was an informative, museum-filled day. We first headed for a museum called Our Lord in the Attic, which used to be a hidden Catholic church in a time when Catholicism was outlawed in the Netherlands. During the 17th century, a Catholic man, from what is now Germany, purchased three homes along the canal in Amsterdam, and he converted the top three floors into a church. At this point in time, most of northwestern Europe completely banned Catholicism, but Amsterdam welcomed people of all religions as long as they practiced their faith in quiet if they weren’t protestant. This church allowed Catholics living in Amsterdam to practice their faith. There were also places like this all over the Netherlands for all different types of religions. I thought it was interesting to learn this because I have noticed that Dutch people are very proud of how tolerant their country is, and visiting this museum helped me to see that the Netherlands has been a tolerant place for centuries. Tolerance is a very important part of Dutch culture that has enabled them to thrive and become a very wealthy city and country.
After Our Lord in the Attic, we had a large amount of free time, so I ate lunch and then headed to the Rijksmuseum with many people from the group. The Rijksmuseum is the national museum of the Netherlands dedicated to Dutch art and history. We didn’t have nearly enough time to appreciate all of the art and artifacts within the massive museum, but we enjoyed what portion of it we did see. We learned much about Dutch history and arts, including how their famous blue and white Delftware porcelain, that I have seen all over the city, came to be. I read that the style started after Dutch artisans attempted to replicate the Chinese porcelain that was imported during the Dutch Golden Age. Their replications became known as Delftware, which gained popularity in 17th century, especially after Chinese porcelain became scarce due to trade restrictions. Delftware was more affordable and accessible, making it a preferred choice among the Dutch and European elite.
After seeing beautiful art pieces from famous Dutch artists such as Van Gogh and Rembrandt, we headed to the Anne Frank House. This was a sad but important museum to visit. Visiting the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam provided profound insights into Dutch culture. The resilience of Anne Frank and her family mirrors the broader Dutch commitment to tolerance and inclusivity. Anne’s story highlights the Dutch pursuit of social justice and equality, encouraging efforts to combat discrimination and promote inclusivity. Through education and remembrance, the Anne Frank House pushes people to understand and empathize, which embodies Dutch values of tolerance and mutual respect.
Today was probably the most educational day we had on Dutch culture, which I found to be highly focused on tolerance. I’m going to miss Amsterdam, but I am also very excited to head to Rotterdam tomorrow!