Dam Square Monument, Amsterdam

The river Amstel was dammed here in the 13th Century. Amstelerdam, a small fishing community, was founded on the banks of the river. Boats could unload their freight here and alongside the Damrak. When the Nieuwe Kerk was rebuilt and the Royal Palace (originally the town hall) was built, the enclosed square served as the city center, both socially and for administrative purposes. The city was governed and law and order was maintained from here, as can be seen in pictures of public executions on a scaffold in front of the town hall. After WWII, the War Memorial was erected in Dam Square, which is now a gathering place for thousands of people and numerous pigeons.