Nieuwjaarswens van de Amsterdamse nachtwacht voor het jaar 1849 1848 - 1849

Friedrich Robert Prinz created this print, Nieuwjaarswens van de Amsterdamse nachtwacht voor het jaar 1849, as a New Year's greeting from the Amsterdam night watch to the citizens. It’s 1849 and the Dutch are undergoing massive social change. The old order is dying. Let's look at how the image creates meaning. We see images of trade ships, Amsterdam architecture, and a poem. The night watch served as a community institution, and in return for their services, the night watchmen received a small payment. With this greeting, they are not only doing their job, but reaffirming their place in Dutch society. Consider that the Dutch Golden Age ended a century prior to the creation of this image. The rise of the middle class, the Enlightenment and the French Revolution all had an impact on Dutch society and the role of community institutions. To better understand this image, we would want to look at documents concerning the history of Amsterdam, the role of the night watch, and the social history of the Netherlands in the 19th century.