The largest square in the Indische Buurt, in the 1930s it served as the platform for major demonstrations, organized by the Dutch Communist Party and at times attended by hundreds of people. For instance, in June 1930 the CPH (Communist Party of Holland) held a 300-person anti-war rally attended mostly by young workers, who came to hear speeches by – among others - Louis de Visser, the Communist party leader. Another example is a meeting organized on Saturday, March 21st 1931 against the forced unemployment relief. During the Great Depression, due to rising unemployment, many of those without a job were forced to work on large infrastructure projects. This is how such projects as the Afsluitdijk, the 32-km long dam stretching between Den Oever on Wieringen in North Holland province to the village of Zurich in the Friesland province – the longest dam in the world at the time - have been constructed. In Amsterdam, the Amsterdamse Bos (the Amsterdam Woods) and the Flevopark in this neighborhood were also built thanks to such programs. The rally, counting
several hundred attendees, after marching through the city went completely out of hand resulting in brawls with the police.
After Hitler's rise to power in Germany in 1933, the CPH increasingly focused its activities against National Socialism. This led to regular clashes between the city's Communists and the National Socialists. For instance, in March 1933 the facades of Communist homes in the neighborhood were defaced with painted swastikas.
The current square has been redesigned to include greenery and a playground area. Thanks in part to The Cruyff Foundation, a charity sports organization set up by the former Dutch striker Johann Cruyff, a Cruyff Court was realized in 2007. A modern version of the old football pitch, where the 14 ‘commandments’ of Johan Cruyff have been incorporated; these can be found on each one of the Cruyff Courts around the globe. The 14 rules include: team playing, responsibility, respect, integration, initiative, coaching, personality, social involvement, technique, tactics, developing and learning, playing together and playing creatively.