Today gave me the opportunity to further investigate Dutch history and culture, experiencing one of the most powerful historical experiences I have had through the Anne Frank house and using my free time to explore Dutch art and food. I am beginning to feel immersed in the Dutch way of life, and it excites me to know how much more I have to explore.
After a quick ride on the metro, we had walked to the Anne Frank house, where we had a few minutes to spare before the start of our tour. Luckily, our guide Brian took the opportunity to talk to us about the history of the Church we saw in the area and about the Dutch landmarks we passed. We had the chance to see a street where the Dutch East India Company, one of the most important companies in history, was formed and where the treaty to establish New Amsterdam (now New York!) was signed, making a relatively unassuming area come alive with history. I really find it interesting how massively important buildings in Amsterdam are repurposed into modern areas. Next, we saw a large Protestant church built around the time primarily Calvinists overthrew the Spanish Catholic control of the area. I found it really interesting how this was done relatively peacefully, a stark contrast to the long history of inter-Christian violence in Ireland where I visited last summer. I found it really informative to learn a bit about how the areas we walk around in this city have such a long history and importance culturally, and this has helped me “look twice” at every interesting building I see, as I never know what history may lie behind them!
Next, we had the chance to tour the Anne Frank house, a powerful testament to her life and somewhere I have wondered about since I read her diary in Seventh Grade English. I was genuinely captivated by the records from German transport to concentration camps that showed her and her family’s name being right in front of me. It is always sobering to remind myself that less than 100 years ago, people had the capacity to be so evil to another human being (and that humanity continues to hurt one another today.) I also was surprised by the size of the attic, as I had always pictured it as being far smaller than it was. Being able to see such a famous and historic building in real life was a blessing, and I feel that I now have connected with an extremely important historical landmark. Further, I found it interesting that if Otto Frank had been killed on a whim like many Jews were at concentration camps, this entire museum would fail to exist.
To close out the day’s activities, I explored Amsterdam’s culture further by exploring the city with some of my friends, trying Dutch French fries loaded with mayo and onions, having an espresso and croissant, and visiting the Van Gogh Museum for a live show about his inspiration from Rembrandt. We learned during the show that they both sat in the very pews we were sitting in to watch the show, and I had the realization of just how much history permeates European cities like this. I have really enjoyed this opportunity to explore Dutch culture today, and I am very curious to see how Rotterdam compares.
