Amsterdammertje

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An Amsterdammertje Amsterdammertje.jpg
An Amsterdammertje
A street with Amsterdammertjes on the painting Backlight Langestraat (1993) by Frans Koppelaar Frans Koppelaar - Backlight Langestraat.jpg
A street with Amsterdammertjes on the painting Backlight Langestraat (1993) by Frans Koppelaar

An Amsterdammertje (Dutch pronunciation: [ˌɑmstərˈdɑmərcə]  ( Loudspeaker.svg   listen )) is the typical red-brown steel traffic bollard that is used to separate the sidewalk from the street in Amsterdam. Amsterdammertje is Dutch for 'little one from Amsterdam'. The bollards have the three Saint Andrew's Crosses from the coat of arms of Amsterdam.

Red color

Red is the color at the end of the visible spectrum of light, next to orange and opposite violet. It has a dominant wavelength of approximately 625–740 nanometres. It is a primary color in the RGB color model and the CMYK color model, and is the complementary color of cyan. Reds range from the brilliant yellow-tinged scarlet and vermillion to bluish-red crimson, and vary in shade from the pale red pink to the dark red burgundy. The red sky at sunset results from Rayleigh scattering, while the red color of the Grand Canyon and other geological features is caused by hematite or red ochre, both forms of iron oxide. Iron oxide also gives the red color to the planet Mars. The red colour of blood comes from protein hemoglobin, while ripe strawberries, red apples and reddish autumn leaves are colored by anthocyanins.

Brown color

Brown is a composite color. In the CMYK color model used in printing or painting, brown is made by combining red, black, and yellow, or red, yellow, and blue. In the RGB color model used to project colors onto television screens and computer monitors, brown is made by combining red and green, in specific proportions. In painting, brown is generally made by adding black to orange. Mixing red-green-blue pigments makes mud color. The brown color is seen widely in nature, in wood, soil, human hair color, eye color and skin pigmentation. Brown is the color of dark wood or rich soil. According to public opinion surveys in Europe and the United States, brown is the least favorite color of the public; the color is most often associated with plainness, the rustic and poverty.

Steel alloy made by combining iron and other elements

Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon, and sometimes other elements. Because of its high tensile strength and low cost, it is a major component used in buildings, infrastructure, tools, ships, automobiles, machines, appliances, and weapons.

Contents

Since the 1980s, the city council has been removing and selling Amsterdammertjes. [1]

History

Around 1800, many people in Amsterdam started to use bollards to protect the sidewalk in front of their houses. These bollards were made of metal (originally old cannons, see also Bollards), stone, or wood. In the late 19th century the first cast iron bollards were made.

Sidewalk pedestrian path along the side of a road

A sidewalk or pavement, also known as a footpath or footway, is a path along the side of a road. A sidewalk may accommodate moderate changes in grade (height) and is normally separated from the vehicular section by a curb. There may also be a median strip or road verge either between the sidewalk and the roadway or between the sidewalk and the boundary.

Metal element, compound, or alloy that is a good conductor of both electricity and heat

A metal is a material that, when freshly prepared, polished, or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electricity and heat relatively well. Metals are typically malleable or ductile. A metal may be a chemical element such as iron, or an alloy such as stainless steel.

Cannon class of artillery which fires at a low or flat trajectory

A cannon is a type of gun classified as artillery that launches a projectile using propellant. In the past, gunpowder was the primary propellant before the invention of smokeless powder in the 19th century. Cannon vary in caliber, range, mobility, rate of fire, angle of fire, and firepower; different forms of cannon combine and balance these attributes in varying degrees, depending on their intended use on the battlefield. The word cannon is derived from several languages, in which the original definition can usually be translated as tube, cane, or reed. In the modern era, the term cannon has fallen into decline, replaced by guns or artillery if not a more specific term such as mortar or howitzer, except for high calibre automatic weapons firing bigger rounds than machine guns, called autocannons.

From 1915 onwards there was a standard bollard of cast iron, weighing 70 kg, 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. [2]

From 1972 the Amsterdammertjes were no longer made from expensive and heavy cast iron, but from plates of steel, approximately 1.35 m high [3] and weighing only 20 kg. This type is currently used in the city; all 1915 type bollards have been replaced or removed. In 1984, there were approximately 100,000 Amsterdammertjes. [2]

As trucks ran over the Amsterdammertjes more and more frequently, cars were able to pass between, and the bollards were no longer effective. In their place, the sidewalks were elevated slightly in the 2000s. Around two thousand Amsterdammertjes are being removed every year. In 2003, there were 37,616 Amsterdammertjes left. [2]

Truck type of large automobile

A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration; smaller varieties may be mechanically similar to some automobiles. Commercial trucks can be very large and powerful, and may be configured to mount specialized equipment, such as in the case of fire trucks, concrete mixers, and suction excavators.

See also

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Bollard Vertical post used in mooring, traffic, etc.

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Bicycle parking rack device used to park bicycles

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Coat of arms of Amsterdam coat of arms

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Pavement light

Pavement lights (UK), vault lights (US), floor lights, or sidewalk prisms are flat-topped walk-on skylights, usually set into pavement (sidewalks) or floors to let sunlight into the space below. They often use anidolic lighting prisms to throw the light sideways under the building. They declined in popularity with the advent of cheap electric lighting.

Obice da 280

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References

  1. ↑ "Verkoop Amsterdammertje". www.loket.amsterdam.nl (in Dutch). City of Amsterdam. Archived from the original on 2009-08-03. Retrieved 2007-04-06.
  2. 1 2 3 Fischer, Ulli (2006-03-22). "Het Amsterdammertje". www.amsterdam.nl. City of Amsterdam. Archived from the original on 2007-02-26. Retrieved 2007-04-06.
  3. ↑ "Amsterdammertje kopen". amsterdamtourist.nl. Amsterdams tourisme- & congresbureau. Archived from the original on 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2007-04-06.
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