Cherry Blossom in Amsterdam

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31st March - Cherry Blossom Trees at the Kersenbloesempark #heygo http://www.heygo.com

We were in Amsterdam Forest.

The construction work started in 1934. As this was the time of economical crisis, many unemployed worked on this immense project moving manually enormous amounts of ground from the canal boats, trains and around the space using small wagons and temporary rail tracks. All together around 50 000 people worked on the project. The enthusiasm was enormous. Often clerks from the municipality, whose pay has not been very high at the time, worked at the park.



During the war the works slowed down. Germans took some parts of the park for their military installations. The antiaircraft guns were put there to protect nearby Schiphol from the attacks by the Allies. The adjoining areas of Amsterdamse Bos were declared as unsafe by municipality and public could move close to these limited by the barbed wire grounds, only at their own risk. The maintenance works of the park continued also there – the municipality has been paying to its employees an additional fee for working close to the German installations.

Happily, large parts of the park remained freely accessible. As the times were hard in the Netherlands of the war time, some of the trees were cut for wood to heat the houses, and even some parts of the park were turned into fields with crops like barley and rye.

After the war and removal of unexploded bombes that fell in the park and its vicinity, the works continued to complete and improve the Amsterdam Forest.



Blossom Park

There are in total 400 cherry blossom trees at the park, which were a gift from the Japan’s Women’s Club (JWC). The Japan’s Woman Club is a non-profit organisation established in 1989, made up of ladies of the Japanese business community. The organisation was proudly set up to help new members integrate to the Dutch culture and surroundings and to help stay in touch with other locals, through activities and meet ups.



In 2000 the club donated and planted the 400 trees in celebration of the cultural ties between the Netherlands and Japan “The Netherlands – Japan Friendship Treaty”. The amount of trees of 400 was chosen as it was the 400th anniversary!

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