Today’s activities focused on the historical aspects of both Holland and Amsterdam. To begin the day, we took the train from our hotel through Amsterdam and to the neighborhood of Zaanse Schans in the Zaandam area. The neighborhood is known for its collection of relocated traditional Dutch windmills and homes. The area is full of canals, dikes, cobbled paths, and farm fields.

A major component of our visit to this region was to learn about the innovations of the Dutch in the 16th century with their post mills. These mills could be rotated to face the wind, and their blades could be adjusted to accommodate different wind conditions. They were used to accomplish multiple different tasks such as powering saws to aid in the production of lumber, powering mill stones for the production of food products, and to act as pumps to control water and reclaim land.

These windmills allowed for the Dutch to reduce the manual labor required for certain tasks, and the early use of these windmills helped to user in other sustainable infrastructure in the future. An interesting fact that we learned during our time here was that the windmills played a critical part during the Dutch War of Independence. The system of canals, dikes, and farm fields that they created acted as a natural fortification against the Spanish.

During the second part of our day, we took the train back into the heart of Amsterdam and we had the important opportunity to visit the Anne Frank House and Museum. During our time in the preserved house and museum, we were able to see and learn about the conditions faced by the Frank family and other Jewish families in Amsterdam during the Second World War. The museum was designed to wishes of Otto Frank, the only member of the Frank family who survived the war, and it preserves the secret annex as it was when the family was discovered.

The Anne Frank House helped to highlight an aspect of sustainability that is often overlooked: preserving and learning from the past. While it is important for our cities and communities to expand and grow with the invention of new technology and infrastructure, we must never forget the history of cities and communities as the incorporation of new technology and ideas cannot be accomplished without a deeper understanding and incorporation of the past.

Out of respect for the Frank family and all those who were persecuted during World War Two, no photos were taken while visiting the site and any photos shown in this post are of different parts of Amsterdam.