Amsterdam

=== Decline and modernization ===
Amsterdam's prosperity declined during the 18th and early 19th centuries. The [[Anglo-Dutch Wars|wars]] of the [[Dutch Republic]] with [[Kingdom of England|England]] (latterly, [[Kingdom of Great Britain|Great Britain]]) and France took their toll on the city. During the [[Napoleonic Wars]], Amsterdam's significance reached its lowest point, with Holland being absorbed into the [[First French Empire|French Empire]]. However, the later establishment of the [[United Kingdom of the Netherlands]] in 1815 marked a turning point.

[[File:Old-Amsterdam 1891-street-1.jpg|thumb|upright=0.75|right|View of Vijzelstraat looking towards the [[Muntplein, Amsterdam|Muntplein]], 1891]]
The end of the 19th century is sometimes called Amsterdam's second Golden Age.<ref name="Amsterdam City Walks">{{Cite web |title=Amsterdam through the ages -A medieval village becomes a global city |url=http://www.amsterdamcitywalks.com/english/agenda.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080501115531/http://www.amsterdamcitywalks.com/english/agenda.html |archive-date=1 May 2008 |access-date=21 May 2008}}</ref> New museums, a railway station, and the {{Lang|nl|[[Concertgebouw, Amsterdam|Concertgebouw]]|italic=no}} were built; At the same time, the [[Industrial Revolution]] reached the city. The [[Amsterdam–Rhine Canal]] was dug to give Amsterdam a direct connection to the [[Rhine]], and the [[North Sea Canal]] was dug to give the port a shorter connection to the [[North Sea]]. Both projects dramatically improved commerce with the rest of Europe and the world. In 1906, [[Joseph Conrad]] gave a brief description of Amsterdam as seen from the seaside, in ''The Mirror of the Sea''.