Amsterdam+Coat+of+Arms

=Amsterdam Coat of Arms=

2 Lions
The Amsterdam Coat of Arms is an official symbol of the city. The shield itself is red and black (red on the sides and black down the middle). The black stripe represents the Amstel River. The red on the sides comes from the Persijn family coat of arms, who owned the area in the 13th century. There are also white crosses on the black stripe down the middle. Still today, red remains one of the favorite colors of the Dutch people.

The three X shaped crosses are the symbol of Amsterdam from 1419. Saint Andrew was crucified on an X shaped cross. The legend says that the Christian martyr made a demand before his crucifixion, that his cross should be in some way lesser than that of Jesus. The St. Andrews cross appears on many west European coat of arms of the middle ages.

In 1498 the Imperial Crown of Austria was added above the shield by Emperor Maximilian as a sign of gratitude for a huge loan he received from the city. The same crown has been topping the tower of the Westerkerk (western church), except it does not have the satin red stripes.

Last but not least, there is a lion of on each side of the shield. The lions are a symbol of the Netherlands. Also, after World War II, Queen Wilhelmina, who led the Resistance of the Netherlands against the Nazi occupation, added three words under the Amsterdam Coat of Arms in recognition of the heroism of the people of Amsterdam. She wrote "Heldhaftig, Vastberaden, Barmhartig" which means "Heroic, Determined, Compassionate."

For a symbol to have been around as long as it has, little is known about its origin or the true meaning of the symbols that represent the Amsterdam Coat of Arms. There is much speculation which is what most base their beliefs in today. It seems to date back to as early as 1350 when Amsterdam was just a fishing village and all the ships that were from Amsterdam flew the flag with the coat of arms on it. With the “XXX” symbol in the center, you will see the coat of arms throughout the entire city. This part of the coat of arms has become the official symbol for the city of Amsterdam. The 3 X’s run down the middle of a red banner on a black stripe and are in fact not X’s but St. Andrew Crosses. Some stories state he was an apostle while others say he was a fisherman but he was killed in the 1st century AD after being hung on an X shaped cross. Another idea is a Persijn family that owned a large amount of land started using the 3 X’s. This is why they do not mean triple X rated like some assume. It has no reference to the adult sex entertainment industry.

There is some speculation that the 3 X’s stand for the 3 main dangers that medieval Amsterdam had to face. Fire, floods and the Black Death. There is no proof this is what it stands for. This portion of the coat of arms can be seen all over the city as you travel through. You should pay attention to all the strange and unusual places that you find these symbols all over the city. The black stripe down the middle of the red banner is thought to represent the water of the Amstel and IJ rivers that flow by the city. In its full form, the Amsterdam coat of arms has 2 golden lions standing as shield bearers on their hind legs on either side of the red banner. They were added sometime in the 16th century. In 1489, the crown of the monarch Maximillian I, archduke of Austria was added to the top of the red banner. Below the lions is the motto of Amsterdam, Heldhaftig (Heroic), Vastberaden (Resolute) and Barmhartig (Mericiful). These three words were added to the coat of arms in 1947 by Queen Beatrix as a standing testament to the strength of the Amsterdam people during WWII.

In the 21st century during construction on the underground train system of the city, a tool was found that had the 3 X’s engraved on it. It was dated to be from 1350 so they now know that the 3X symbol is at least that old. Even though the exact history of the coat of arms is not known, it has not stopped the city form using it everywhere in the city to the streets, buildings and even the barriers put up to keep cars from driving over onto the curb. It has been a part of the city since its beginning.