History of Amsterdam (part 2)Center of commerceAmsterdam's importance came from its status as a center of commerce. This devellopment was aided by the political unity of the Low Countries - roughly covering the area of today's Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg - which came in 1543. The man responsible was charles V, the great-great-grandson of Philip the Good. The center of the new state was in the south, with Brussels as capital.Amsterdam imported wood and grain from the Baltic region - also the place to buy iron-ore, furs and cod. The salt to preserve the cod came from Portugal. this made Amsterdam into a central clearing-house where goods from north and south could be stored, processed and sold on. And to service the growing business community and international trade, Amsterdam developed a range of trades and professions like cartography, printing, banking and insurance. Major cityA thriving economy helped Amsterdam to grow into the biggest city in the province of Holland, with some 30,000 inhabitants. We can get an idea of the size and spread of the city from 16th century maps. Ocean-going vessels could sail right into the city, up to what is today Dam Square. Back then, the Dam was covered in small houses, with medieval, gothic city hall. The New Church (as opposed to the Old Church built a century earlier in 1300) was also surrounded by clusters of houses. And the city limits were defined by the Singel canal to the west and the Kloveniersburgwal (wall) to the east.RepublicAmsterdam was not immune to the Reformation which raged through Europe. For a long time it remained a Catholic stronghold but protestantism gradually took the upper hand. Religious rivalry actually halted the city's growth between 1535 an 1578. One early group, the Anabaptists, wanted the equality of all men in heaven to be applied on earth. To make their point, sect members stripped off their clothes and took to the streets in "honest nakedness". They were rounded-up and executed with all the cruelty of the time. The authorities whose laxity had allowed matters to reach such a stage were replaced by a tougher regime.Eighty years of warWars of religion stopped the unification of the Netherlands. Charles V's son Philip II, inherited the throne of Spain. And as King Philip of Span he sought to annihilate the reformation in the Netherlands. Many of the Dutch rebelled. They wanted to keep their freedom and opposed the idea of religious persecution. Prince William of Orange became their national leader. His ironic nickname, William the Silent, came from his skill as a negotiator - never committing himself until the last possible moment. In 1572, the province of Holland chose the side of William of Orange. Only Amsterdam remained loyal to Spain. The city helped the Spanish army capture Haarlem. But at this point the advantage started to shift. The Spanish troops were forced to retreat and the Sea Beggars - pirates to some, patriots to others - gained the upper hand over the Amsterdammers. The city was now isolated. A peace treaty with the rest of the province of Holland was signed in 1578 and within a few month a new city government was in place, made up of protestants and allies of William of Orange.
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