Amsterdam Coat of Arms XXX
The meaning and history of Amsterdam Triple X
Everywhere you look in Amsterdam you see the city's XXX symbol, you see it on flags, buildings, municipality trucks, street poles, garbags, on the pavement ... simply everywhere you look. But what is the meaning of this symbol.
I hear you thinking seXXX, yes that's true, even in the sex industry it's a common use, but the symbol of amsterdam has nothing to do with sex.

The coat of arms of Amsterdam is the official symbol of the city of Amsterdam. It consists of a red shield and a black pale with three silver Saint Andrew's Crosses, the Imperial Crown of Austria, two golden lions, and the motto of Amsterdam. Several heraldic elements have their basis in the history of Amsterdam. The crosses and the crown can be found as decorations on different locations in the city. Under the shield is a White Ribbon with the motto of Amsterdam: Heldhaftig, Vastberaden, Barmhartig, "Heroic, Steadfast, Compassionate". In 1947 Queen Wilhelmina officially decreed that the official meaning was that they represented three moral virtues: Compassion, Resolution and Heroism.
The XXX symbol is three St. Andrew’s Crosses in white on a black stripe on a red background. On the flag they appear horizontally. St. Andrew was a fisherman who lived in the 1st Century AD and was said to have been crucified on an X-shaped cross. The Amsterdam XXX symbol dates back to the year 1505 when the city was a fisherman’s town, so the coat of arms was established as the symbol for the city itself and it also flew as a flag on all ships registered in Amsterdam. |
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Flag of Amsterdam |
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Some people say the three saltires represent the three dangers of ancient Amsterdam: Fire, Floods, and the Black Death. That theory however has no historical basis. The crosses probably have their origin in the shield of the noble family Persijn. The knight Jan Persijn was "lord" of Amstelledamme (Amsterdam) from 1280 to 1282. In the escutcheons of Dordrecht and Delft, two other cities in Holland, the pale refers to water. In analogy with this, the black pale in the escutcheon of Amsterdam would refer to the river Amstel. Both the colours and the crosses are also found in the escutcheons of two towns near Amsterdam: the village of Ouder-Amstel on the banks of the river Amstel to the southeast, and Nieuwer-Amstel (now the suburb Amstelveen) to the southwest. Both villages were also the property of the Persijn family. |

Coat of Arms of Amsterdam in ancient mosaic
Amsterdammertjes

An Amsterdammertje 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.
Amsterdam Travel Guide: Amsterdam Coat of Arms
Amsterdam tourist information about the meaning of Amsterdam Triple X
Amsterdam-Travel-Guide.Net
Amsterdam Coat of Arms XXX
The meaning and history of Amsterdam Triple X
Everywhere you look in Amsterdam you see the city's XXX symbol, you see it on flags, buildings, municipality trucks, street poles, garbags, on the pavement ... simply everywhere you look. But what is the meaning of this symbol.
I hear you thinking seXXX, yes that's true, even in the sex industry it's a common use, but the symbol of amsterdam has nothing to do with sex.

The coat of arms of Amsterdam is the official symbol of the city of Amsterdam. It consists of a red shield and a black pale with three silver Saint Andrew's Crosses, the Imperial Crown of Austria, two golden lions, and the motto of Amsterdam. Several heraldic elements have their basis in the history of Amsterdam. The crosses and the crown can be found as decorations on different locations in the city. Under the shield is a White Ribbon with the motto of Amsterdam: Heldhaftig, Vastberaden, Barmhartig, "Heroic, Steadfast, Compassionate". In 1947 Queen Wilhelmina officially decreed that the official meaning was that they represented three moral virtues: Compassion, Resolution and Heroism.

Flag of Amsterdam
The XXX symbol is three St. Andrew’s Crosses in white on a black stripe on a red background. On the flag they appear horizontally. St. Andrew was a fisherman who lived in the 1st Century AD and was said to have been crucified on an X-shaped cross. The Amsterdam XXX symbol dates back to the year 1505 when the city was a fisherman’s town, so the coat of arms was established as the symbol for the city itself and it also flew as a flag on all ships registered in Amsterdam.
Some people say the three saltires represent the three dangers of ancient Amsterdam: Fire, Floods, and the Black Death. That theory however has no historical basis. The crosses probably have their origin in the shield of the noble family Persijn. The knight Jan Persijn was "lord" of Amstelledamme (Amsterdam) from 1280 to 1282. In the escutcheons of Dordrecht and Delft, two other cities in Holland, the pale refers to water. In analogy with this, the black pale in the escutcheon of Amsterdam would refer to the river Amstel. Both the colours and the crosses are also found in the escutcheons of two towns near Amsterdam: the village of Ouder-Amstel on the banks of the river Amstel to the southeast, and Nieuwer-Amstel (now the suburb Amstelveen) to the southwest. Both villages were also the property of the Persijn family.













Coat of Arms of Amsterdam in ancient mosaic
Amsterdammertjes

An Amsterdammertje 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.



Amsterdam Travel Guide: Amsterdam Coat of Arms
Amsterdam tourist information about the meaning of Amsterdam Triple X
Amsterdam-Travel-Guide.Net
Amsterdam Coat of Arms XXX
The meaning and history of Amsterdam Triple X
Everywhere you look in Amsterdam you see the city's XXX symbol, you see it on flags, buildings, municipality trucks, street poles, garbags, on the pavement ... simply everywhere you look. But what is the meaning of this symbol.
I hear you thinking seXXX, yes that's true, even in the sex industry it's a common use, but the symbol of amsterdam has nothing to do with sex.

The coat of arms of Amsterdam is the official symbol of the city of Amsterdam. It consists of a red shield and a black pale with three silver Saint Andrew's Crosses, the Imperial Crown of Austria, two golden lions, and the motto of Amsterdam. Several heraldic elements have their basis in the history of Amsterdam. The crosses and the crown can be found as decorations on different locations in the city. Under the shield is a White Ribbon with the motto of Amsterdam: Heldhaftig, Vastberaden, Barmhartig, "Heroic, Steadfast, Compassionate". In 1947 Queen Wilhelmina officially decreed that the official meaning was that they represented three moral virtues: Compassion, Resolution and Heroism.

Flag of Amsterdam
The XXX symbol is three St. Andrew’s Crosses in white on a black stripe on a red background. On the flag they appear horizontally. St. Andrew was a fisherman who lived in the 1st Century AD and was said to have been crucified on an X-shaped cross. The Amsterdam XXX symbol dates back to the year 1505 when the city was a fisherman’s town, so the coat of arms was established as the symbol for the city itself and it also flew as a flag on all ships registered in Amsterdam.
Some people say the three saltires represent the three dangers of ancient Amsterdam: Fire, Floods, and the Black Death. That theory however has no historical basis. The crosses probably have their origin in the shield of the noble family Persijn. The knight Jan Persijn was "lord" of Amstelledamme (Amsterdam) from 1280 to 1282. In the escutcheons of Dordrecht and Delft, two other cities in Holland, the pale refers to water. In analogy with this, the black pale in the escutcheon of Amsterdam would refer to the river Amstel. Both the colours and the crosses are also found in the escutcheons of two towns near Amsterdam: the village of Ouder-Amstel on the banks of the river Amstel to the southeast, and Nieuwer-Amstel (now the suburb Amstelveen) to the southwest. Both villages were also the property of the Persijn family.













Coat of Arms of Amsterdam in ancient mosaic
Amsterdammertjes

An Amsterdammertje 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.



Amsterdam Travel Guide: Amsterdam Coat of Arms
Amsterdam tourist information about the meaning of Amsterdam Triple X
Amsterdam-Travel-Guide.Net