Museumplein

            The first tourist attraction that my friends and I stumbled upon on our weekend trip to Amsterdam was the Museumplein, also known as the heart of the museum quarter. It is a pleasant region in Amsterdam that is separate from the stereotypical drugs and prostitution scene that many people associate all of Amsterdam with. After being overwhelmed by all of the people, sites, and fun activities in the park, we ventured in to see the Van Gogh Museum, the Ravensbruck Memorial, and the famous “I Amsterdam” letters, a few of the many historical figures that represent Amsterdam.

            The Van Gogh Museum was our first stop of the day. The museum houses the most Van Gogh paintings in the world and is something that Amsterdam is very proud to represent. While touring through the museum with our headsets, I not only captured a sense of history and appreciation for the artwork, but I also recognized the different nationalities of the people touring the Van Gogh Museum. There were many people from all over Europe at the museum to view Van Gogh’s work along with other significant 19^th century artwork. The headsets that we purchased were available in multiple languages to accommodate the many different tourists.  This showed Amsterdam’s pride in sharing their artifacts and history that is popularly known all around the world.

            After spending time at the Van Gogh Museum, my friends and I headed over to the Ravensbruck Memorial. It consisted of stainless-steel panels surrounding a tall cylinder shaped statue. This memorial was significant because it was dedicated to the women that were held Prisoner in the Ravensbruck Nazi concentration camp during World War II. This monument is a great example of Amsterdam’s nationalism. Because Jews made up ten percent of Amsterdam’s population before World War II, it is important to the city to remember and honor the Jewish people that were tragically killed.

            Finally our last stop in Museumplein for the morning was the well-known “I Amsterdam” giant letters. It was crucial that my group of traveling friends and I got our picture taken in front of the letters so that we could have photo-documentation of our trip to Amsterdam, just like all of the other foreigners. The “I Amsterdam” logo is not only letters. It is the symbolization of Amsterdam as a European melting pot. Minority groups primarily populate Amsterdam and therefore, the phrase “I Amsterdam” is devoted to all of the different ethnic groups of people and cultures that cultivate into one. I also found it interesting that the letters are written in the English language. This displays Amsterdam’s pride in them because it is written in a language that is commonly understood by people from all over the world, indicating their efforts for people to recognize the meaning. Amsterdam’s strong belief in a culture with freedom to be who you are ultimately symbolizes their unity among differences.

            After a long morning of viewing historical and symbolic sites in Amsterdam, my friends and I sat down for lunch at the edge of the Museumplein to take it all in. The different languages spoken, ethnic differences, and historical figures represented Amsterdam as a state, yet containing many different nations (ethnic groups) within its borders. Overall, I saw that Amsterdam had a lot of pride regarding its history and current multi-cultural way of life.