Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands, has its own flag with the special XXX symbol, so what is its meaning?
1. What Does The Amsterdam Flag Look Like?
It’s Amsterdam’s coat of arms that inspires its flag. So, let’s mention the city’s coat of arms first.
It has a red shield with a black band and three silver St. Andrew’s crosses. Underneath is the city’s motto, Heldhaftig, Vastberaden, Barmhartig, which means Valiant, Steadfast, Compassionate. Two golden lions adorn the sides, and the Imperial Crown of Austria sits atop the shield.
Speaking of the flag, it features three horizontal stripes in red, black, and red. The black one is thinner and has three white Xs on it.
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2. What’s The Meaning Of XXX On Amsterdam’s Flag?
To be honest, the real meaning behind the X X X symbols on the Amsterdam flag is still unknown. However, there are several theories. Some of them are denied by historians, and some sound reasonable. Keep reading to find yourself the most appropriate explanation.
2.1. The Relation To St. Andrew
The three crosses demonstrated on the coats of arms of Amsterdam are St. Andrew’s crosses. They appear on the flag horizontally but also on seals and walls vertically.
St. Andrew was a fisherman before becoming an apostle. He was then martyred on a cross known as a crux decussata (X-shaped cross). The XXX symbol in Amsterdam dates back to 1505. Amsterdam was a fishing town then, and this flag was flown on all of the city’s vessels.
As a result, some people believe there is a connection between St. Andrew and the flag’s illustration.
2.2. The Persijn Family
Most historians believe that the Amsterdam coat of arms and its crosses can be traced back to the noble Persijn family since they’re the owner of a large amount of land in Amsterdam.
Between 1280 and, the knight Jan Persijn served as the “lord” of Amsterdam. And his family’s shield was adorned with St. Andrew’s Crosses.
Maybe that’s why the flag of the whole city remained unchanged due to this theory.
3. Amsterdam X X X – What It Doesn’t Stand For
We don’t know what XXX means yet, but here is surely what it does not stand for.
3.1. X-rated Amsterdam
Amsterdam is well-known for its X-rated amusement, such as the Red Light District. Nonetheless, it is purely coincidental that the crosses on Amsterdam’s flag are identical to the current symbol for anything X-rated.
3.2. Fire, Floods, And The Black Death
Another widespread theory is that the X X X symbol represents the three hazards to Old Amsterdam, which are fire, floods, and the Black Death. Otherwise, it means warding off these hazards.
This popular legend, however, has no historical foundation. Amsterdam families used St. Andrew’s crosses long before the black plague came to Europe.
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4. Interesting History
The flag was formally adopted on February 5, 1975, but it had already been in use before to that date, as shown on the cover of the day program for the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam.
Before its official adoption, an unofficial flag with the city’s coat of arms was used in the center of a red-white-black horizontal tricolor. Such a design was already in use in the 17th century, although various designs in red, black, and white were also employed in Amsterdam’s history.
The three St. Andrew crosses were sometimes put in the white orbit of the Dutch national flag, red, white, and blue.
