I found these photos of Amsterdam in the 80`s in an album on Facebook. It`s not very clear to me who the author is, so check the link to see for yourself.
I looked at them amazed and suddenly understood what my friends who had been living in Amsterdam for more than 20 years meant when saying “it was all different back then”.
Evicted squats, demonstrations of all kinds, sex, drugs and rock & roll, living in camper vans… What else?
The 80`s were definitely some very restless years and, as you are about to see, Amsterdam was no exception.

“Psychedelic Furs”, “Deep Purple”, Amsterdam

Vijzelstraat

Children in De Pijp

Leidseplein, 1984

Somewhere in Amsterdam

Vondelpark, 1986

Street musicians near FEBO

Spuistraat, 1984

Fire and smoke during eviction on Conradstraat

Free land near Artis

Beatrixpark

Street music

“Better to live free ouside than to be exploited” / Free land next to Artis for all those who wanted to lived there, later on evicted due to extension of Artis.

Leidseplein, 1984

Street acrobatics

Flower stall at Vijzelstraat / Weteringcircuit

Florist reading in flower stall at Vijzelstraat / Weteringcircuit

Amsterdam balcony

Lola Dominicus, Spuistraat

Pigeons at Dam square

Leidseplein, 1984

“No atomic weapons in the Netherlands” – demonstration agains war at Dam square

Ostadestraat corner with Ferdinand Bolstraat, 1986

Celebrating Independance Day in Vondelpark, 1985

Ferdinand Bolstraat, 1984

Home birthday party at Waterlooplein, 1986

Girl and bike

Leidseplein 1984

On the boat in the Eastern Docklands, 1986

Tram 1

Vijzelstraat

Spuistreet, 1985

De Dam 1984

Leidseplein, 1984

Evacuation of building on the Keizersgracht

Ice cream man at Dam square. Behind him, someone comfortably reading a book.

Vondelpark, 1986

Puppeteer and its audience at Dam square

Nieuwmarktbuurt, 1985

Punks in the Wielingen, a squatters’ stronghold near Scheldestraat / RAI. Nowadays demolished and new buildings errected.

Spuistraat, 1985

Burning dolls at squat Wielingen`s pub.

Metro entrance at Amsterdam Central Station

Fire during eviction at Conradstraat

Street musician, 1986

Dam

Singel

Eviction of Wijers complex at the Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal, 1984

Tram stop at Leidseplein, 1984

Eviction of Wijers complex at the Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal, 1984. Everyone was inside, waiting for what it was about to happen.

Leidsestraat, 1985

Spectators at eviction in Staatsliedenbuurt, 1986

Eviction of Wijers complex at the Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal, 1984

Where in Amsterdam?

Walking in Amsterdam, hand in hand.

“Free place for heroin and prostitution” – demonstration near Amsterdam Central Station

Group protest against war on the Dam

Shot in container – Nieuwmarktbuurt, 1985

Eviction in Staatsliedenbuurt, 1986

Street musician
10 Comments
You asked \’Where in Amsterdam?\’ (The seventh image starting from under): Leidseplein. 😉
Additional note: At the left you can still see part of the Stadsschouwburg. The (ugly) Burgerking \’umbrella\’ use to open completely when it started to rain. I wonder if these photos were made by Ed van der Elsken. Anyhow, you should really take a look at his Amsterdam series. Sure you\’ll love his work. Tot ziens! 😉
Thanks for the suggestion! I will surely take a look at Ed\’s photos. 😊 Tot ziens!
Those are great. I always thought of the 80s as being a big downturn from the protests of the 60s (which even I was too young to take much of a part in) and the 70s, but I guess there was still a lot of momentum. The city certainly looked a lot scruffier then, and I\’m not just referring to the punks and remaining hippies and Provos. By the way, nobody (of any social class) ate brunch back then, at least not in Europe.
The junkies shooting up in the containers were terribly sad, though…
Know the man reclining and reading behind the ice-cream seller ( he was a fellow busker from England but I won’t name him in case he doesn’t want to be identified!) Was in Amsterdam for the summer months of 84 and 85. I was part of a female duo that sang and played guitar mainly on the Leidesplein (Beatles, Everly Brothers, Simon and Garfunkel covers). Have some great memories and stayed in squats in Nieuwezijds Voorburgwal (old Salvation Army Building) and a beautiful building with red shutters in Waterlooplein. As we were there in the Summer months we missed all the action of mass evictions. There were fantastic squatting communities in some amazing buildings and the Dutch youth were really politically engaged and organised. Really great seeing these photos. Can’t see me or my pal though and we must be in so many photo albums across the world as people were always taking snaps. We didn’t use any amplification just belted out the songs. Earned enough to keep us happy. Thanks for putting these up here – it was a great city and I would go back in a flash if it wasn’t so expensive!!
Thank you for leaving this comment! I looked again at the photos in this post and I got this feeling of missing out. I have never experienced Amsterdam like that. The city belonged to the people – that’s how I can summarize these photos. I wonder what the guy with the book was reading. 🙂
I love these photos, view them every time I miss Amsterdam. They make me feel and think full of A-Dam, always wanted to know early times of the city and the culture and evolution of both. thanks for the sharing…
I am the boy in the street acrobatics picture!!!
Where did you find it?
Love this collection
Hi! I found these photos of Amsterdam in the 80`s in an album on Facebook. The authors of the photos were not mentioned, so never knew who they were. Now, when I check, it looks like the Facebook page where I found them has been removed. Amazing images in any case!
When I was 12, I spent most of 1983 living in a camper van in Amsterdam. These pictures bring me back but my memory is too fuzzy to recognize much beyond buildings. Thanks for sharing.