Begin 19e eeuw heerst er grote armoede in Amsterdam en is de glans van de 17e eeuw alweer lang verdwenen. Rijke en trotse Amsterdammers nemen het heft in eigen hand om de stad uit het slop te trekken.
At the beginning of the 19th century, there was great poverty in Amsterdam and the splendor of the 17th century had long since disappeared. Rich and proud Amsterdammers took matters into their own hands in the name of progress.
