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Jordaan

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The Jordaan ( Dutch pronunciation: [jɔrˈdaːn] ) is a neighbourhood of the city of Amsterdam , Netherlands . It is part of the borough of Amsterdam-Centrum . The area is bordered by the Singelgracht canal and the neighbourhood of Frederik Hendrikbuurt to the west; the Prinsengracht to the east; the Brouwersgracht to the north and the Leidsegracht to the south. The former canal Rozengracht (now filled in) is the main traffic artery through the neighbourhood.

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12-630: Originally a working-class neighbourhood, the Jordaan has become one of the most expensive, upscale locations in the Netherlands. It is home to many art galleries, particularly for modern art, and is also dotted with speciality shops and restaurants. Markets are held regularly at Noordermarkt , the Westerstraat (the Lapjesmarkt textile market) and Lindengracht . Rembrandt spent the last years of his life in

24-407: A kind of charity. By the 1970s most of these courtyards were in very bad condition, like the rest of the neighbourhood. Since then many have been restored and are now inhabited mainly by artists, students and some elderly people. During the summer some of these yards are opened on Sundays during free concerts known as hofjesconcerten . Many houses in the Jordaan have a stone tablet on their facade,

36-496: A lively music scene in the 20th century. Several of the most popular musicians now have a statue in their memory at the corner of Prinsengracht and Elandsgracht . The singer Willy Alberti is commemorated with a memorial plaque on the Westerkerk church. The Jordaanfestival, celebrating the neighbourhood's music tradition, is held annually. Starting in the 1960s, many of the neighbourhood's original working-class residents moved out of

48-420: A stone sign displaying the profession or family sign of the inhabitants. For example, a butcher displayed a pig, and a tailor a pair of scissors, carved in stone above the entry. The first such stone tablets were made in the 16th century, when citizens were ordered to use these tablets instead of big wooden gables that obstructed the traffic in the narrow streets. Construction of the Jordaan began in 1612, when it

60-469: Is dominated by the 17th-Century Noorderkerk church, and is lined by cafés and restaurants. Markets are held on the square every Monday. On Saturdays, a popular organic farmer's market is held on the square. On Mondays a market (mainly for textiles) is also held in the adjacent Westerstraat street. Noordermarkt dates back to 1616 and was originally named Prinsenmarkt, after the Prinsengracht canal which

72-707: The Leidsegracht and the Amstel was developed during the city expansion of 1658. The section to the east of the Amstel was constructed during the last expansion. This part was named Nieuwe Prinsengracht. The Korte Prinsengracht is in the extension of the Prinsengracht between the Brouwersgracht and the Westerdok . There are many monuments and monumental canal houses on the Prinsengracht, including: The Prinsengracht starts in

84-495: The Jordaan are named after trees and flowers. Another theory is that the Prinsengracht canal was once nicknamed after the Jordaan (which is the Dutch name for the river Jordan ), and that the neighbourhood beyond the Prinsengracht was so analogized. The Jordaan has a high concentration of hofjes (inner courtyards), many of them with restored houses and peaceful gardens. These courtyards were built by rich people for elderly women, as

96-626: The Jordaan, on the Rozengracht canal. He was buried in the Westerkerk church, at the corner of Rozengracht and Prinsengracht, just beyond the Jordaan. The Anne Frank House , where Anne Frank went into hiding during World War II , is located just beyond the neighborhood, on the east side of the Prinsengracht. The most common theory on the origin of the name posits derivation from the French word jardin (meaning garden ); indeed, most streets and canals in

108-655: The Noorderkerk church. Prinsengracht The Prinsengracht is a 3.2-kilometer (2.0 mi)-long canal that runs parallel to the Keizersgracht in the center of Amsterdam . The canal, named after the Prince of Orange , is the fourth of the four main canals belonging to the canal belt . Construction started in 1612 on the initiative of Mayor Frans Hendricksz. Oetgens, after a design by city carpenter Hendrick Jacobsz Staets and city surveyor Lucas Jansz Sinck. The part between

120-506: The city to more affordable locations, mainly to Almere and Purmerend . 52°22′35″N 4°52′54″E  /  52.37639°N 4.88167°E  / 52.37639; 4.88167 Noordermarkt The Noordermarkt ( Dutch pronunciation: [ˈnoːrdərˌmɑr(ə)kt] ; English: Northern Market ) is a square in the Jordaan neighborhood of Amsterdam in the Netherlands . The square

132-515: The square borders. After completion in 1623 of the Noorderkerk, the square came to be known as Noordermarkt. Until 1655 the square served mainly as a graveyard for the church. During World War II , the organisers of the February Strike of 1941, to protest deportations of Jews by the Nazis , held their first public meetings on Noordermarkt square. This is commemorated by a plaque on the south face of

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144-571: Was called Het Nieuwe Werck (The New Work). The streets and canals were built according to the old ditches and paths, which explains its unusual orientation compared to the rest of the city. In the 19th century, six of the Jordaan's canals were filled in, including the Rozengracht . The neighbourhood was traditionally a leftwing stronghold, with a stormy history. Heavy riots broke out in 1835, 1886, 1917 and 1934. The February strike of 1941 started with meetings on Noordermarkt square. The Jordaan had

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