- The iconic ‘I amsterdam’ letters have been removed from the front of the Rijksmuseum in the Dutch capital.
- It’s estimated 6,000 selfies were taken with the sign every day.
- Officials decided the letters should be removed to reduce tourist numbers in the square, but also because the message is too “ego-centric” and “individualistic.”
Along with bikes along the canal and the red light district, the “I amsterdam” sign is one of the most iconic photo spots in the Dutch capital.
However, tourists keen to get a selfie with the sign may be disappointed – the letters outside the Rijksmuseum in Museum Square have been removed.
The sign was apparently deconstructed because the square was becoming overcrowded, and due to fear that it’s become a symbol of “mindless mass tourism” and is “too individualistic.”
http://instagr.am/p/Bq7iD68hyuX
The woman behind the removal is city councillor and Amsterdam leader of the left wing GroenLinks party, Femke Roosma. According to The Telegraph, she said in a statement: "The message of 'I amsterdam' is that we are all individuals in the city. We want to show something different: diversity, tolerance, solidarity.
"This slogan reduces the city to a background in a marketing story. Amsterdammers want to regain their grip on the city."
Telegraph Travel's Amsterdam expert Rodney Bolt commented: "I'm glad to see it go. For me it has become a symbol of mindless mass tourism, where people would more readily take a selfie outside the Rijksmuseum than really look at or care about the paintings within."
Representatives of the city will be in the square for the next fortnight to explain what's happened to tourists looking for their selfie opportunity with the sign.
However, I amsterdam will remain the city's marketing slogan and website, and the letters from the square will appear in different locations to mark special events.
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The letters were erected 14 years ago and, largely thanks to travellers taking photos both of and with the sign, quickly became one of the biggest tourist attractions of Amsterdam. It's estimated that over 6,000 selfies were taken every day at the I amsterdam sign, according to Amsterdam marketing.
Not everyone is happy about the removal of the sign, with 66% of Amsterdam residents saying it's a bad idea, according to a survey by Maurice de Hond.
"I don't accept it," one person wrote on Twitter.
Noooooo 😭😭😭
‘I amsterdam’ has been removed and I don’t accept it 😭 pic.twitter.com/6oWr3QGWsk— Serce Nie Śpi ♡ (@_ifollowrivers) December 3, 2018
"What a shame," added another.
what a shame! I have some lovely pics of my children climbing on them.
— Rosie Dawson (@rosiedawson) December 3, 2018
In protest of the removal of the letters, Dutch designer Pauline Wiersema erected the word "HUH" in the exact spot where I amsterdam used to stand.
"For many people, the slogan functions as an identifying feature, as a sign of quality, as a mark of trustworthiness, independence and connection," said Janine Fluyt of Amsterdam Marketing.
"Here in Amsterdam, you can be who you are. Anyone who contributes anything to Amsterdam can feel part of it, be that permanently or temporarily."