Let this list inspire you to pay attention to the names of the bridge you cross in Amsterdam: there is (often) an interesting, funny or captivating story behind it.
1. Pa Sembrug
Part of the Groeneveen flat collapsed during the Bijlmer plane crash. The Pa Sem Bridge is now located on this spot, named following Willem Symor, also known as Pa Sem. Shortly following the plane crashed in 1992, he went back to the burning flats and rescued a young boy from the conflagration. He himself was seriously injured. Pa Sem died in 2008 and in 2017, twenty-five years following the disaster, a bridge was named following him.
2. Jacoba van Tongerenbrug
Many streets in Slotermeer are named following male resistance fighters. To also show the role of women in the Second World War, several bridges have been named following female resistance fighters, including Jacoba van Tongeren. She led Group 2000, which saved the lives of thousands of people, and was dubbed ‘the coupon queen’ because she was able to smuggle more than 5,000 food stamps in her self-made ration vest.
3. Chicken Bridge
You will not only find a chicken bridge in Amsterdam, you will find it throughout the Netherlands. Kippenbrug is an old name for pedestrian bridge. Although there is another story going around in Weesp: there used to be a kindergarten that was also called the Kippenschooltje. A chicken or the egg story?
4. Joes Kloppenburg Bridge
In 1996, Joes Kloppenburg was the victim of senseless violence in the Voetboogstraat. He was beaten up by a couple of drunken men and died of his injuries not much later. Lange Frans and Baas B refer to Joes in their song Pointless and since 2016, bridge 5, which connects Raamsteeg with Oude Spiegelstraat, bears his name.
5. Los Postje or the Los Postbruggetje
The name already suggests it: we are dealing with a small bridge here. The Los Postje is a two meter long fixed bridge in Zundertdorp. In the past, if a ship had to pass underneath, the wooden planks were removed manually by the bridge keeper. Los Postje refers to this loose bridge.
6. Hildo Kropbrug
The Amsterdam city sculptor Hildo Krop cannot be missing from this list: he made hundreds of sculptures for the city, including the sculptures on the Hildo Krop Bridge. You will also find his work on buildings in the city: take a good look at the Berlage monument on Victorieplein, at the statues in and at the Amrâth Hotel and De Onbevangenheid, a meter-high sculpture on the Kinderbrug between Muzenplein and Churchilllaan.
7. Zuidergasfabriek bridge
Did you know that in addition to the Westergasfabriek there were also a Noorder-, Ooster- and Zuidergasfabriek? In other words: one in each wind direction. The Zuidergasfabriek stood on the site of the Zuidergasfabriek bridge near Overamstel, and was responsible for supplying and producing gas for cooking and heating in the city. In 1967 the factory disappeared due to the emergence of natural gas.
8. Praise of Folly Bridge
In the Erasmus Park you will find the Lof der Zotheidbrug. A very appropriate name for this place. It is in fact the title of one of the most famous works by Desiderus Erasmus, following whom the park is named. In the book he expressed his criticism of the Roman Catholic Church.
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