This week, it is all about Anne Frank!! That German-Jewish girl who went into hiding during the Holocaust, journaling her experiences in the renowned book known as The Diary of Anne Frank. Unfortunately, she died of typhus while at the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in the early spring of 1945. She…
Category: North Holland
Haarlem
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Haarlem Jewish Monument
The Jewish Monument Haarlem located at Philip Frankplein, where the old synagogue once stood nearby before the war. In Dutch: Joods Monument Haarlem. It has the names of 715 Jewish Haarlemmers who were deported from their homes during the Second World War and were killed in the extermination camps. The…
Amsterdam
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Muntplein | Bridge 1
A crowded intersection of six streets in the centre of Amsterdam called Muntplein. A crisscross section of traffic between the streets of Singel, Kalverstraat, Rokin, Amstel, Reguliersbreestraat and Vijzelstraat. When translated, Muntplein means “Mint Square”. This square is a bridge! Muntplein, also known as Brug #1 or Bridge #1, dates…
Amsterdam
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Chet Baker
Little did I know … Chesney ‘Chet’ Baker (December 23, 1929 – May 13, 1988) – the world-famous jazz artist was staying here at the Prins Hendrik Hotel in 1988 where he was found dead with serious head wounds on the pavement of this hotel. Apparently having fallen from the…
Haarlem
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Bloemencorso Bollenstreek 2024
Presenting the Bloemencorso Bollenstreek 2024 in Haarlem … This flower parade is the highlight of the spring season in the Netherlands! Such yearly event usually starts on Wednesday to Friday whereby the public can buy tickets to see behind the scenes how a float is decorated by volunteers, in Sassenheim….
Amsterdam
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Condomerie
It was Saturday, May 1, 1987. Amsterdam made world headlines as the first condom specialty shop opened its doors. In the 80s, the outbreak of AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) was a global epidemic. An incurable and deadly virus transmitted via blood, sperm, vaginal fluids, rectal fluids and breast milk,…
Amsterdam
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Amsterdam Oersoep
A beautiful arched passage way connecting Damrak and Nieuwendijk shopping streets in Amsterdam known as the Beurspassage. Its history dates back to 15th century. Part of the redevelopment of the Damrak 70 and Nieuwendijk 196 buildings. The elaborate artwork design is called ‘Amsterdam Oersoep’, translated as Amsterdam Primordial Soup. It…
Amsterdam
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Mirakelkolom
Every time I walk the street of Rokin in Amsterdam, I would get fixated on this imposing column. Just look at it! It sticks out like a sore thumbs. You have to wonder … 📍Rokin 72, Amsterdam. The story goes way way way back to 15 March 1345. Ysbrand Dommer…