Every year on 4 May, the national commemoration of Remembrance Day is held on Dam Square. Dutch victims of war are commemorated with a two minute silence. Many Dutch people share in that moment on television, looking at Dam Square over the shoulders of ‘Peace’.
Peace
Around the Palace
The citizens of Amsterdam topped the Town Hall’s
façade with Peace. The building of the Town Hall began in 1648 directly
following the end of the 80 Years War between the Dutch Republic and the
Spanish. Peace is presented as a woman holding an olive branch and a staff of
Mercury in her hands. The message is clear: in Amsterdam, peace and trade go
hand in hand.