The earliest mentions of the name Rokin date from 1559 (as Ruck-in), 1563 (Rock Inne) and 1564 ('t Rockin). The name denoted the quay that had been constructed shortly before on the west side of the then Amstel River, just south of Dam Square. To do so, the buildings that had previously stood right up to the water of the Amstel had to 'move in'.
There is no historical evidence for the well-known story that Rokin is a corruption of Rak-in. Rak is the name for a straight stretch of canal, but that word is not changed to rok anywhere in the Netherlands and no preposition or adverb is ever stuck behind it.
The water has only sometimes been called Rokin since the seventeenth century.
As a child, there was already a predilection for visual art. As a technician, I was always creative in products, services and working methods. In later years, more time was taken for my art (photography) passion... Read more…