Excavation work in Amsterdam, by R.N. Roland Holst, 1891. Roland Holst (1868 - 1938) was fascinated by the massive new construction projects that were appearing in Amsterdam at the end of the nineteenth century. The thriving building industry reflected Holland's economic growth during this period and gave the city a new aspect. This is probably the Elandsgracht canal in Amsterdam's Jordaan district being filled in. Roland Holst married the poet Henriëtte van der Schalk in 1896. In 1897 they both joined the Social Democratic Party (SDAP) which had been formed in 1894.