MicroFactzzz#0096 · 🏛️ History Gone Off the Rails
Tulip Bulbs Once Cost as Much as a House in Amsterdam
Tulip mania in 17th-century Holland got so extreme that a single tulip bulb was valued higher than a craftsman’s annual salary.
In the 1630s, a speculative frenzy erupted in Holland over tulip bulb prices, especially rare varieties with distinctive "flame" patterns on their petals.
At its peak, around the turn of 1636-1637, individual prized bulbs reached prices comparable to a townhouse in central Amsterdam — bought on futures contracts, often without anyone actually holding the physical goods.
In February 1637, the market collapsed almost overnight — prices crashed, and many investors were left holding worthless contracts, though the scale of the real economic damage is now considered smaller than the popular myth suggests.
Tulip mania is cited today as one of the first well-documented examples of a speculative financial bubble in modern European history.
Sources
- General knowledge / encyclopedic sources
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Krulicza Nora
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