A M S T E R D A M

The heraldic origins of the coat of arms

of Amsterdam are unknown.The black banner in the centre could represent the water on which the cityis located.The three St. Andrew’s crosses may stem from the Persijn crusaderfamily from Waterland, which owned a considerable amount of land inand around Amsterdam.In 1489 the small merchant city obtained the right to add to its coat of arms the crown of the monarch, Maximilian I, archduke of Austria,German king and Holy Roman emperor. For the merchants of Amsterdamthe crown was a weighty recommendation in other elements of theKingdom, right down to the 17th century.By that time, Amsterdam had long been a powerful trading city in a bynow Protestant country which, in 1648, was formally to leave the HolyRoman Empire of the German Nation under the Peace of Münster.The crown adorning the emblem and the tower of the Westerkerk churchis in fact the crown of emperor Rudolf II. The two lions were added asshield-bearers in the 16th century.In recognition of the conduct of the people of Amsterdam during theGerman occupation of 1940-1945, Queen Wilhelmina granted the city theright on 27 March 1947 to add to the coat of arms the motto ‘Valiant,Resolute, Compassionate’.

- Source: Amsterdam.nl

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