One day, one city, one badge: Amsterdam

The coat of arms of Amsterdam is the official coat of arms of Amsterdam, consisting of a red shield-shaped part and a black stripe in the center of the shield (with three white Saint Andre's crosses inside). The St. Andrew's Cross probably originated from the shield of the noble family Pernin, the knight Jan Pernin who was lord of Amsterdam from 1280 to 1282.

Above the shield is the Austrian Crown, during the Hook and Cod Wars of the 15th century, when the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I supported the bourgeois side of the city against the aristocracy of the countryside. During this war, Amsterdam borrowed heavily from Maximilian I. In 1489, the emperor authorized Amsterdam to use it in heraldry as a token of gratitude for Amsterdam's loan. When Rudolf II succeeded to the throne, a new crown was used, and Amsterdam also changed the crown pattern. After the Reformation, Amsterdam became a Protestant city but continued to use the Catholic emperor's crown. In 1804, the crown of Rudolf II became the Austrian crown.

On either side are two golden lions added in the 16th century, with the city motto of Amsterdam below. During the February strike of 1941, non-Jewish citizens protested against Nazi Germany's persecution of Jews.[3] Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands wanted the citizens of Amsterdam to be remembered for their contribution in World War II and coined the Dutch slogan "Heldhaftig, Vastberaden, Barmhartig", which means "brave, determined, compassionate". On March 29, 1947, this slogan was added to the coat of arms of Amsterdam.

The pattern of the Amsterdam city flag is based on the shield part of the Amsterdam city coat of arms, but uses a horizontal arrangement. Incidentally, the "x" in the Amsterdam city flag is the same as the symbol of the red light district - one of Amsterdam's distinctive industries.

Amsterdam (Dutch: Amsterdam), sometimes also called the Netherlands, is the capital and largest city of the Netherlands. It is located in the western province of North Holland and is the sixth largest metropolitan area in Europe. Its name comes from the Amstel dam - a dam on the Amstel River that is now the site of Dam Square - which also indicates the origin of the city. A small fishing village was built here in the late 12th century. Due to the rapid development of trade, Amsterdam became the most important port in the world during the Dutch Golden Age. In that era, the city was a center of finance and diamonds. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the city expanded and many new neighborhoods and suburban residential areas were formed.

Amsterdam is the financial and cultural capital of the Netherlands. The headquarters of many large Dutch institutions are located here, including the headquarters of seven Fortune 500 companies such as Philips and ING. Part of Euronext, the Amsterdam Stock Exchange is located in the heart of the city. Amsterdam has many tourist attractions, including the historic canal network, the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh Museum, the Anne Frank House, the red light district, and many cannabis cafes. Approximately 4.2 million tourists visit here every year. As the largest city in the Netherlands, Amsterdam has experienced the development process from a fishing village to an international metropolis, experienced glory and destruction, and the baptism of the world war. To a certain extent, her history is also a microcosm of the history of the Netherlands.