Amsterdam's Canal Houses, Explained
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- čas přidán 11. 10. 2021
- Lining Amsterdam's canals, these iconic homes were born out of necessity; but why? Learn more about Bright Trip at www.brighttrip.com/courses?ut...
Amsterdam's canal houses are one of the city's biggest attractions. They're known for being cute, cozy, and extremely Dutch. But they also have a fascinating history rooted in the birth of modern capitalism, globalization, and imperialism. Alexi explains the dark history behind the canal house's innocent façade.
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The houses are narrow because you paid for the ground facing the canal. The most narrow house in Amsterdam is only 2.2 meters wide (6.6 feet).
This was exactly the point i missed in this video! back then you paid for the ground your house was on, so the wider the house the more expensive it was. Thats why they are so narrow and tall.
You paid tax per window
Wow, that's so narrow!
It wasn't necessarily capitalism that built sprawling suburbia, it was the huge automobile lobby that still shapes many modern cities.
Irony: “Ew capitalism” … “this video brought to you by…”🤣
Good video tho
That's irony?? I must've failed English. Or you failed life?
@@joshuaphillips755 It’s definitely the former and not the latter. Don’t worry I’m sure you’re good at something
@@briancheetham9134 yeah okay dinosaur
@@joshuaphillips755 josh… give it a rest, bud
@@benjaminkennedy3913 Ben, isn't it stupid for me to call you that after tagging you?
Well made! Well done ^_^ learnt something great today!
Calvinism was the main reason why houses had few servants, not lack of space. "Heaven helps those that help themselves."
Thrift, industry and self-reliance were some of the predominant moral principles typical of this stern strain of Protestantism.
Very informative thank you very much for that, I will be visiting Amsterdam in June and now I know a little bit of the history of the homes. Love from 🇨🇦
Nice, very clear explanation...👍👍
Dutch culture and style, mixed with pragmatically dealing with the flat, coastal landscape and the need for commerce made some interesting architecture.
Funny how these houses are one of the most expensive ones in Dam now 😆
True!
0:26 Uhh, boring suburban homes were most definitely created by government rules and not capitalism: minimum lot sizes, setback requirements, minimum parking requirements, homogeneous zoning, etc. Similarly, Amsterdam's canal houses were also influenced by government rules: specifically the fact that the width of the houses was directly correlated to how much taxes one had to pay, that's why they are all so skinny and tall. I guess we just need to find what government rules fit best with our free market needs to create the best cities! 😁
Yeah this millennial obsession with blaming everything on capitalism is tiring, it feels like they half assed the research.
I’m now here in Amsterdam.. heading out today to look at the houses.. much more informed now thanks to your informative video. Thank you.. James 😊
It’s not that complicated. Being on the canal is highly desired, so to maximize the amount of homes and businesses on the canal you make them narrow and tall (and to make up for the narrowness, deep).
thanks for the history lesson queen
What a missed opportunity. I would definitely not describe Amsterdam's canal houses as 'cute'. Those various styles of gables all have their own particular names, not just the one mentioned here. If you are truly interested in Dutch architecture, look up videos by a real architectural historian.
Cool story 😎
Thanks 😊
I bet the canal Prinsengracht isn’t pronounced PrinsengraTCH.
Interesting! I once had a 12 hour layover in Amsterdam. I went to a Primark and bought a wool jacket which I still have!
Oh wow!
Short, informative, well edited 👍👍👍
Thanks! 🙌
And the Dutch often leave the windows free of curtains. This is said to be a nod to having nothing to hide (Calvinistic future). Also, it showed how clean you kept your home.
How interesting!
they told us that they kept the curtains open because the tax was calculated by the way you lived. if you had fancy room with a lot of stuff then the tax would be higher
Na… there was a curtain tax… like the window tax in the uk
@@steffen_drei apparently there was a tax on the number of windows, not curtains, in the Netherlands
It wasn't capitalism, it was mercantilism. Also, cute are kittens and toddlers only. Houses are not, period.
Absolutely killed this video - so informative!!
Why that tone for describing capitalism??? Try living in a communist country you guys, and then try making and uploading this video. Or try "monetizing" or "promoting" your videos and travel courses. The hypocrisy is sickening!!!
So true
it’s not hypocritical to critique capitalism while participating in it, we critique it BECAUSE we’re forced to participate in it
@@CameronGuarino Move to North Korea or China then
Because nowadays there isn't one young person who hasn't been taught in schools filled with leftists, socialists, and commies? As a Cuban woman who had to escape Communism, that's my best guess.
Vietnam. Oh wait…
1:47 I'm begging you, don't make up pronunciation, you can google it in 30 seconds
This is a very well done CZcams. It is fascinating. Lots of it is inaccurate due to the leftist influence in schools and universities, but on the surface, it is a spectacularly well done CZcams. The Netherlands is one of the loveliest countries in the world. Let's hope they stop giving it away to people who will surely harm it.
Absolutely stupid initial take. I don´t know about your background but you definitely don´t seem to know much about history of architecture or history in general for that matter.
Capitalism has always been in the forefront of architectural beauty. In all recorded instances of capitalist regimes, from the Egyptian civilization, Roman empire, Byzantine empire, any Kingdom-based country, Fascist governments of Franco and Mussolini, or any tyrant for that matter. Something that all of these regimes had in common was the beauty of the buildings (not just for the noble houses but for the whole city (at the time)), and this is to incite a sense of power and stability of a government built on the differences (you may call them inequalities or instabilities also) between citizens.
Look no further than any past soviet country to see the stereotypical grey block houses which look like a perpetual copy-pasted representation of the architect's depression. In fact, the recent "leftification" of the Netherlands has made new homes built look much more brutalist. The difference is drammatic in many fast growing cities where the transition was not smooth, such as Delft.
In contrast to the capitalist architecture, socialist architecture builds beautiful common spaces that remind the citizens of the importance of the lot and the insignificance of the individual. Examples are plenty but I would dare say that one of the most premanent examples is that of the church. Throughout the middle ages during the gothic era, famously known for poverty famine and sickness (black death), despite all these problems, some of the greatest pieces of architecture were build as churches in Europe. Gothic churches where marvelous and intricately built structures towering over the plebian and almost primitive homes of the common citizens.
While your video provided part of the reason why Dutch houses were like this (other comments already mentioned the desirability of being in the cannal and the taxation on façade width and windows), the underlying surprise that such beautiful and ubiquitous architecture could be managed under capitalism shows deep ignorance. I hope I helped with this.
Great video
De V.O.C was gewoon goed voor Nederland en als Belg of een dikke vette Amerikaan zeggen dat de V.O.C slecht was dan respect ik dat. Maar dan moet je het niet zeggen dat het kunstwerk, muziek en architectuur van die tijd ook slecht is omdat je de V.O.C ook slecht vind is gewoon onzin.
You do realise the VOC is the form of capitalism we are in now?
The working way of capitalism gets these buildings build, government sets to many rules, and helps the mega rich because of lobbying, stop hating on capitalism you clearly have no idea.
Capitalism is at fault for building track houses, umm ok… let’s not forget then that communism/socialism is at fault for building boring cramped gray square apartments.
Dude, why are you surprised, have you seen socialist architecture?
You are Unesco certified cute
I love your fancy voice❤
She lost me and ruined this video with her negative attitude towards capitalism.
It’s crazy how some people really want full government control communism.
I think most people are aware of the darker side of the VOC, but introducing it as "it basically took anything it wanted from around the world, and if locals resisted this process, the VOC enslaved them" is pretty diminishing for the huge role it played in my opinion. Like you said yourself - it's best to educate yourself more about these things (and yes, that includes the darker aspects, because they must not be forgotten either).
Now let's see very beautiful socialist houses. oh, yeah...
czcams.com/video/d6DBKoWbtjE/video.html
An whole street with house painted white is called beauty...
That's a very ignorant comment
@@erdnasiul87 commie is talking, let's listen to his baffles.
@@edwartvonfectonia4362 get a book, google and stop being a basic troll
And what did Communism create?
the moscow metro
@@thezenarcher ill give you that!
@@thezenarcher The Moscow metro was a communist propoganda project to show the advantages of having complete power over your citizens. It sure is beautiful but look at the rest of the Soviet union- pathetic is an understatement for describing it
The Gulags 🐴
@@SilhSe lmao the US has those too
Cranberry juice for your elongate
Putin
I just think ew capitalism. Period
You have money?
You seem like an old lady and you been on CZcams 12 years😭😭
Complaining abt capitalism on a platform it created on a video sponsored and that ultimately sells guided tours😭😂
Is irony only commies are capable of🤡
Regardless, you can go to north Korea, no capitalism there!!😁