Dam (De Dam, Dam Square), Amsterdam

In the 13th-Century, the river Amstel was dammed here, and on the banks of the river, a small fishing community was founded called Amstelerdam. Boats could unload their freight there 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 there, as can be seen in pictures of public executions on a scaffold in front of the town hall. After World War II, the War Memorial was erected in Dam Square, which is now a gathering place for thousands of people and numerous pigeons.