The Johnny Jordaanplein also known as a Johnny Jordaan Square is a public
square in the center of the Dutch city of
Amsterdam
Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...
which features
outdoor sculptures. The square was named for musician
Johnny Jordaan
Johnny Jordaan was the pseudonym for Johannes Hendricus van Musscher (7 February 1924 – 8 January 1989), a Dutch singer of popular music, in particular the genre known as ''levenslied'', a Dutch variety of the French ''chanson''. He was well kn ...
and it was dedicated in 1991.
History
The square was named for a popular musician in the mid-1900s: Johnny Jordaan which was the stage name of
Johannes Hendricus van Musscher. There is a colorful hut in the small square and bronze sculptures of Jordaan musical hall of fame.
The English name for the square is "Johnny Jordaan Square".
Jordaan died in died in 1989 and shortly after his death there were proposals to dedicate the square. A statue of Johnny Jordaan was unveiled in 1991. There are sculptures of other performers:
Tante Leen
Tante is the French, Dutch (Nederland), German, Danish, and Yiddish word for aunt (female sibling of a parent)
''Tante'' may also refer to:
* A novel by Anne Douglas Sedgwick, upon which the film ''The Impossible Woman'' is based
* Tante Leen (19 ...
, Johnny Meyer,
Manke Nelis
Manke Nelis (born Cornelis Pieters; 1919-1993) was a Dutch singer in the levenslied genre.
Career
Manke Nelis was born in Groenlo on 16 December 1919 and began his musical career as a bass player, often accompanying his brother-in-law, accordionis ...
and Jan & Mien in the square.
Design
The square is located on the end of the Elandsgracht next to the De Land Cafe.
The exact loaction is where the Elandsgracht meets the
Prinsengracht.
The location is a popular meeting place for the residents of
Jordaan
The Jordaan is a neighbourhood of the city of Amsterdam, Netherlands. It is part of the borough of Amsterdam-Centrum. The area is bordered by the Singelgracht canal and the neighbourhood of Frederik Hendrikbuurt to the west; the Prinsengracht to ...
.
Two Separate locations competed for the title Johnny Jordaanplein. The singer lived in
Staatsliedenbuurt
Staatsliedenbuurt (Amsterdam) is a neighborhood of Amsterdam, Netherlands
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in his final years but the location selected was on the Elandsgracht in the Jordaan neighborhood.
See also
*
List of outdoor sculptures in the Netherlands
Outdoor sculptures in the Netherlands
* Curved Form (Bryher) is a bronze sculpture by Barbara Hepworth, modeled in 1961.
* De Schreeuw 2007, a sculpture honoring Theo van Gogh (The Scream)
* Elegy III (Hepworth) is an abstract bronze sculpture, by ...
References
{{Amsterdam
Urban planning
Garden squares
Squares in Amsterdam
Outdoor sculptures in the Netherlands