According to the city government, its origin could go back to the coat of arms of the Persijn family, which once owned a large tract of land in the capital.

The flag was officially adopted on 5 February 1975[3] although it was already in use before this date, seen for example on the cover of the day programme of the 1928 Summer Olympics held in Amsterdam.

Before its official adoption, there was also an unofficial use of a flag with the city's coat of arms in the middle of a red-white-black horizontal tricolour.

It was a token of appreciation for the massive resistance of the people of Amsterdam against the Jewish persecution, as expressed during the February strike in 1941.

[citation needed] AFC Ajax, an Amsterdam-based football team who plays in the Dutch Eredivisie, uses the Amsterdam flag as their captain's armband.