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The mayors of Amsterdam

From the first female mayor back to the regents of the Golden Age: who ran the city, and what happened in their time?

Femke Halsema Mayor todayFemke HalsemaSince 2018 · The first woman to hold Amsterdam's mayoralty, and the first from the green-left party GroenLinks.
1967 to present

The city today

From the hippies on Dam Square and the Nieuwmarkt riots, via coronation day 1980 and the Bijlmer air disaster, to the world's first same-sex wedding.

  1. 2018to present Femke Halsema Femke HalsemaGroenLinks The first woman to hold Amsterdam's mayoralty, and the first from the green-left party GroenLinks.
  2. 2017to 2018 Jozias van Aartsen Jozias van AartsenVVDacting The former foreign minister and Hague mayor who steered Amsterdam for seven months after Van der Laan's death. 2 stories
  3. 2010to 2017 Eberhard van der Laan Eberhard van der LaanPvdA His farewell letter ended: 'Take good care of our city and of each other.' Those words are now painted on a wall in West. 2 stories
  4. 2010 Lodewijk Asscher Lodewijk AsscherPvdAacting An Amsterdam alderman who unexpectedly wore the mayor's chain for four months.
  5. 2001to 2010 Job Cohen Job CohenPvdA He married the world's first same-sex couples and had one mission: keeping the city together.
  6. 1994to 2001 Schelto Patijn Schelto PatijnPvdA A patrician from The Hague who won over Amsterdammers and put the city on Europe's stage.
  7. 1983to 1994 Ed van Thijn Ed van ThijnPvdA As a Jewish boy he survived eighteen hiding places; as mayor he led the city through the Bijlmer air disaster. 2 stories
  8. 1977to 1983 Wim Polak Wim PolakPvdA The Amsterdam-born journalist who was mayor when the metro opened and the city burned on coronation day. 1 story
  9. 1967to 1977 Ivo Samkalden Ivo SamkaldenPvdA The lawyer who ran Amsterdam in its wildest years: hippies on Dam Square, student sit-ins and the metro riots. 3 stories
1945-1967

After the war

A city recovering from the occupation, building its western garden suburbs and clashing with a new generation in the 1960s.

  1. 1957to 1967 Gijs van Hall Gijs van HallPvdA Resistance banker, builder of the IJ tunnel, and the first Amsterdam mayor in modern times to be dismissed by the government. 1 story
  2. 1946to 1956 Arnold Jan d'Ailly Arnold Jan d'AillyPvdA 'The flying mayor' rebuilt postwar Amsterdam and travelled half the world to promote his city.
  3. 1945to 1946 Feike de Boer Feike de Boeracting A Frisian sailor turned shipping boss who ran Amsterdam for ten months after the liberation, without any fuss.
1915-1945

War and crisis

Plan Zuid, the 1928 Olympic Games, the Depression years and the German occupation.

  1. 1941to 1945 Edward Voûte Edward Voûte The pro-German mayor installed by the occupiers after the February Strike, and convicted after the war.
  2. 1921to 1941 Willem de Vlugt Willem de VlugtARP Twenty years as 'Father Willem': from the 1928 Olympics to his dismissal by the Germans after the February Strike.
  3. 1915to 1921 Jan Willem Tellegen Jan Willem TellegenVDB The engineer who gave Amsterdam beautiful workers' housing and steered the city through the lean years of the First World War. 1 story
1824-1915

The nineteenth century

After the French period Amsterdam has a single mayor again. The city grows into a modern metropolis, with the North Sea Canal and new districts outside the Singelgracht.

  1. 1910to 1915 Antonie Röell Antonie Röellliberaal He ran three cities, then governed the whole province of North Holland for 25 years, until his death in 1940.
  2. 1901to 1910 Wilhelmus Frederik van Leeuwen Wilhelmus Frederik van Leeuwenliberaal The alderman for city utilities who became mayor and later called the city government 'extremely deficient'.
  3. 1891to 1901 Sjoerd Vening Meinesz Sjoerd Vening Meineszliberaal Mayor of Rotterdam, then of Amsterdam: he saw the city grow sharply in 1896.
  4. 1880to 1891 Gijsbert van Tienhoven Gijsbert van Tienhovenliberaal The mayor of the Rijksmuseum, the Concertgebouw and Central Station, and of the bloody Eel Riot.
  5. 1868to 1880 Cornelis den Texliberaal Under him Amsterdam finally got its own route to the sea: the North Sea Canal.
  6. 1866to 1868 Cornelis Fock Cornelis Fockliberaal Mayor of four towns before forty, then the minister who made the metre and kilogram Dutch law.
  7. 1858to 1866 Jan Messchert van Vollenhoven Jan Messchert van Vollenhovenconservatief A brewer's son in city hall during the years the Palace of Industry rose. 1 story
  8. 1855to 1858 Cornelis Boot Cornelis Bootliberaal The popular mayor who backed the Palace of Industry and saw Amsterdam join Europe's rail network.
  9. 1854 Johannes van Iddekingeacting The year Amsterdam had no appointed mayor: 1854.
  10. 1853 Hendrik Provó Kluit Hendrik Provó Kluitliberaal The police chief who put officers in uniform, then served seven months as mayor.
  11. 1850to 1853 Gerlach van Reenen Gerlach van Reenenconservatief Mayor at 31, later Speaker of the House and almost a 'vice-king' of the Netherlands.
  12. 1842to 1849 Pieter Huidekoper Pieter Huidekoper A former sea captain in city hall who set the first plans for the North Sea Canal in motion.
  13. 1836to 1842 Willem Daniël Cramer Willem Daniël Cramer A judge turned mayor, praised for his gentle nature, and father-in-law of a later mayor.
  14. 1829to 1836 Frederik van de Poll Frederik van de Poll The mayor who resigned because he took criticism of a tax official personally.
  15. 1824to 1828 David Willem Elias An old-Republic regent who helped ease the French out of town in 1813 and died in office as mayor.
1795-1824

The Batavian and French era

On 18 January 1795 revolutionaries backed by France took power in Amsterdam; the old regents were removed and a liberty tree was raised on Dam Square. In 1808 King Louis Napoleon turned the city hall into his palace, and from 1811 to 1813 a French-style maire ran the city. From 1824 Amsterdam had a single burgomaster.

Willem Joseph van Brienen van de Groote Lindt1811-1813As French-appointed maire, this immensely rich banker welcomed Emperor Napoleon to Amsterdam in 1811. Jan Wolters van de Poll1808-1811An Orangist regent became mayor under King Louis Napoleon and ended up a count in the French Senate. Carel Wouter Visscher Carel Wouter Visscher1795-1802On 19 January 1795 he walked out of the Amsterdam workhouse; soon after he was leading the city.
Until 1795

The regents

After the Alteratie of 26 May 1578, when the Catholic city government was removed without bloodshed, a small group of Protestant regents ran Amsterdam. They sat on the city council for life and chose their own successors. Until 1795 the city had not one mayor but four at a time.

Amsterdam was governed by four burgomasters at once, known as the ruling burgomasters. Every year, around 1 February, new ones were chosen by a small circle of regents from their own ranks; after a year in office a burgomaster usually had to sit out a year before he could be chosen again. Candidates came from the vroedschap, a council of 36 men who sat for life and appointed their own new members. That is how families such as the Bickers, De Graeffs and Witsens could run the city for generations. In crisis years such as 1672, 1748 and 1787 the stadtholder stepped in, removing regents or installing his own supporters.
Joachim Rendorpseveral times between 1781 and 1792Too pro-Orange for the Patriots and too independent for the Orangists: in 1787 a mob looted his house. Gerrit Corverten times, first in 1731Ten times burgomaster, until the unrest of 1748 drove him from every office he held. Nicolaes Witsen Nicolaes Witsenthirteen times between 1682 and 1706He drew the first map of Siberia and arranged for Tsar Peter the Great to train at the VOC shipyard. Johannes Hudde Johannes Huddemany times between 1672 and 1703This mathematician mayor marked the city's water levels in stone, laying the foundation for the NAP datum used across Europe. Joan Huydecoper van Maarsseveen Joan Huydecoper van Maarsseveenthirteen times between 1673 and 1693The diary-keeping mayor co-founded the Hortus Botanicus and once feared for his life at dinner with Tsar Peter. Jan Six Jan Six1691Rembrandt's friend and sitter only became burgomaster of Amsterdam at the age of 73. Coenraad van Beuningen Coenraad van Beuningensix times between 1669 and 1684The brilliant diplomat lost a fortune in 1688 and later painted mysterious signs on his house on the Amstel. Nicolaes Tulp Nicolaes Tulpfour times between 1654 and 1671The doctor from Rembrandt's Anatomy Lesson named himself after a tulip and served four times as burgomaster. Cornelis de Graeff Cornelis de Graeffseveral times between 1643 and 1664The most powerful regent of his day set in motion the new city hall on Dam Square, today's Royal Palace. Frans Banninck Cocq Frans Banninck Cocqfour times between 1650 and 1654The captain at the centre of The Night Watch went on to serve four times as burgomaster of Amsterdam. Andries Bicker Andries Bickerten times between 1627 and 1649In 1650 he had the civic guard defend the city against the stadtholder, William II, and lost his post for it. Reynier Pauw Reynier Pauweight times between 1605 and 1620The company that sent the first Dutch fleet to the East Indies was probably founded in his house on Warmoesstraat. Cornelis Pieterszoon Hoofttwelve times between 1588 and 1610The stubborn father of poet P.C. Hooft served twelve times as burgomaster and kept warning against religious zealotry.

46 mayors in the register. Missing someone or spotted a mistake? Let the editors know.