Van Aemstel Family
The van Aemstel or van Amstel dynasty (Dutch: Heren van Amstel, also spelled Heeren van Aemstel or Heren van Aemstel) was a major lordly dynasty in the medieval Netherlands, which held the heerlijkheid of Amstelland (the area around the Amstel), which it governed in the name of the bishop of Utrecht and the count of Holland.
In 1994, the foundations of a castle were discovered in Amsterdam, possibly built by this family, though historians differ on this.
Dutch writer and playwright Joost van den Vondel based his play Gijsbrecht van Aemstel on the history of Gijsbrecht IV of Amstel and his son Jan I of Amstel. Gijsbrecht has a bust on the facade of the Beurs van Berlage in Amsterdam, and also has a park in the city named after him. Cafes in Amsterdam, Breskens, Arnhem, and Majorca have been named Heren van Amstel after the dynasty.
Read more about Van Aemstel Family: Wolfger and Egbert, Gijsbrecht II of Amstel, Gijsbrecht III of Amstel and Arnoud, Gijsbrecht IV of Amstel, Jan I of Amstel, Jan II of Holland, Further Reading
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