Amsterdammertje

An Amsterdammertje is the typical red-brown steel bollard that is used to separate the sidewalk from the street in Amsterdam. Amsterdammertje means literally 'little one from Amsterdam' in Dutch. The bollards have the three Saint Andrew's Crosses from the coat of arms of Amsterdam.

Amsterdammertje

History

A street with Amsterdammertjes on Backlight Langestraat (1993) by Frans Koppelaar

Around 1800 more and more individual people in Amsterdam started to use bollards to protect the sidewalk in front of their houses. These bollards were made of metal (of old cannons), stone, or wood. In the late 19th century the first cast iron bollards were made. From 1915 onwards there was a standard bollard of 70 kg cast iron with three Saint Andrew's Crosses from the coat of arms of Amsterdam. This bollard already looked like the modern Amsterdammertje, although, amongst other differences, it was thinner and heavier.

After World War II the bollards were used more and more to prevent cars parking on the sidewalks. From 1972 the Amsterdammertjes were no longer made from the expensive and heavy cast iron, but from plates of steel, approximately 1.35m high and only weighing 20 kg. This type is currently used in the city of Amsterdam; all 1915 type bollards have been replaced or removed. In 1984, there were approximately 100,000 Amsterdammertjes.

Current policy

Because of trucks pushing over the bollards and smaller cars passing by the bollards, the use of Amsterdammertjes was no longer a sufficient method to prevent cars from parking on the sidewalks. During the 2000s, the sidewalks in Amsterdam will be slightly elevated from the streets, meaning that the Amsterdammertjes are no longer needed to separate the sidewalk from the street. Yearly, around 2,000 Amsterdammertjes will be removed until they are all gone. In 2003, there were 37,616 Amsterdammertjes left.

New and used Amsterdammertjes are sold online by the city government of Amsterdam.