Dam Square - National Monument, Amsterdam

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The National Monument in Dam Square is a memorial to those who fought and died in World War II and is the focus each year for commemorations of the victims of the war.

Built in 1956 it is quite a striking piece of architecture especially when the sun strikes it. The statues at the base of and on the obelisk represent war, peace and resistance and the lions are a symbol of the Netherlands.

Despite its more modern design I think the monument fits quite well and doesn’t look at odds with the older buildings surrounding it.

This monument was built in 1956 after the second world war. It is a 22 m high obelisk constructed by J.J.P. Oud. Today, it is a central meeting point and many people use the step to take a break. You can see street artists around the place, but also drug dealers. Anyway, the drug dealers should be no problem. Just tell them that you are not interested and enjoy a few minutes of break in the dynamic life of Amsterdam.

Nobody ever missed the National Monument in centre of Amsterdam. Not that ancient it got opened at 1956 and a lot of youngsters and some lost elderlies love to sit down for whatever. Next to shoppingmall Bijenkorf, in front of Krasnapolsky Hotel and looking at Royal Palace at Dam Square ...

Its remarkable, white phallus (form of this obelisque) symbolizes war time, and every 4th of May at exactly 20.00 hrs the Queen or other Royal members will put a garland here to commemorate the World War II and its victims, to be seen directly at TV. See the statue figures ...

This National Monument sits across from the Royal Palace and resembles a large phallus. I mean no disrespect, but I found it humorous being that it is in such an "open" society.......but, I digress.
It was unveiled by Queen Juliana of Orange on May 4, 1956 and is adorned with intricate sculptures and Dutch carvings!

During the sixties flower power in the Netherlands was symbolized by the famous Damslapers, a 'bunch of hippies camping out on Dam square'. Nowadays the square has lost a lot of it's former easygoing charm but it's still one of the focal points of the city. Not surprising, as Dam square is the physical center of the city ever since the dam was built to keep the Zuiderzee (Southern Sea) out.

In the midst of the square is the Nationaal Monument, dedicated to the Dutch soldiers and members of the resistance who died during World War Two. To the west the square is flanked by the Royal Palace.

The Dam is the most famous square in Holland. The fishing village which later transformed into Amsterdam was built right on this very spot in about 1270. It is the Dam that gave the city its name. In this square the "waterlanders" built the "dyke" (the dutch word for dam), blocking the flow of the Amstel and separating it from the IJ, a wide arm of the Zuidersee. In short, the Dam became the space in which the entire community met for official ceremonies and the most important events. In the Middle Ages, the Dam faced the sea, from where ships set sail for the North Sea. Today, the Dam is no longer the end part of Amsterdam, but the square is "inland".

The monument to the liberation in the Dam square is an imposing white obelisc decorated with alegorical figures, was put up in 1956 by J.Radeker, in rememberance for the Dutch victims of World War II. The monument encompasses twelve urns, each of which contains a handful or earth taken from eleven Dutch regions plus one from Indonesia.

Nowadays on the steps of the Monument in Dam square is the meeting place for some different types of characters. Maybe given the nearby of the Red Light District and the Coffee Shops (no, not the usual Cappucino and Expresso coffee shops), I saw a bunch of "happy" people listening to some strange music on their portable stereos.

If Amsterdam's core is a bicycle wheel (which is appropriate considering its shape and the number of bikes you'll see here), then Dam Square is the hub. It's a great central place to meet up with friends and it's also a major transportation hub. You'll find the Royal Palace here and this National War Memorial that was built after World War II.

The National Monument op de Dam is erected in 1956 in memory of the victims of World War II. Every year at 4 may Queen Beatrix celebrates national memorial day here by laying a wreath at the foot of the monument.
The monument was designed by : Ir. J.J.P. Oud, Johannes Anton Raedecker and Paul Grégo
The column is 22 meters high and made of white italian travertin. This natural stone is not very durable and the monument had to be restored drastically in 1997.

This monument, which commemorates Dutch victims from WW II is situated on Dam Square in the centre of Amsterdam. It is designed by J.J.P. Oud and made by the sculptor J. Raaedecker and is 22 m high.
In the wall behind the lions are urns with soil from each Dutch province and (former) colonies.

On the Dam square is a beautiful white monument. A huge cone formed column with a ring of statues in a circle surrounding it's foot. On the 4th of May this monument is the centre of the "dodenherdenking" (remembering the death), which grew from a day to recall all Dutch who died in the second worldwar to liberate the country to a commemoration of all that died for freedom anywhere in the world. In the sixties the monument was a central place for hippies and provo's, that from here came into the picture for the rest of the country. The Dam square always had a focuspoint in this fight and sigh for freedom.