Rotterdam isn’t your common old European city with cobbled lanes and medieval squares. Much of it was rebuilt after the devastating battle in 1940, but that doesn’t imply its history is hard to discover.
Rotterdam is a Dutch city that has been moulded by migration, scarred by wartime and rebuilt to be a designated European Capital of Culture. There are a lot of ways to check out the history of Rotterdam through strolling trips, finding multicultural neighbourhoods, symbolic monoliths and stories shared by locals.
If you’re planning a journey to Rotterdam, I hope this guide assists you get a better sense of how the city became what it is today.
Rotterdam Docks from the’ Twister’ observation deck at Fenix Museum History of Rotterdam Discovering the history of Rotterdam is a big topic, so to give you an introduction, I thought a timeline of events would be a useful method to simplify. From an easy dam on the River Rotte to ending up being Europe’s largest port, 
Rotterdam has come a
- long method. Here’s a look at a few of the essential moments that shaped the city. History of Rotterdam Timeline 1270– A dam is built in the River Rotte.
- This is where Rotterdam gets its name. 1340– Rotterdam officially ends up being a city after being approved city rights by Count William IV of Holland. 15th Century– The city turns into a small but
- important trading hub, thanks to its inland waterways. 1568– 1648– Rotterdam sides with the Dutch rebels versus Spain. The Eighty Years’ War ultimately results in the self-reliance of the Dutch Republic.
- 1588 to 1672– In the Dutch Golden Era, Rotterdam flourishes as a port city with trade, shipbuilding, and the population all growing rapidly. This economic strength was sustained by the transatlantic slave trade.
- 1609 to 1621– Dutch East India Business (VOC) undertook the conquest of the Banda Islands, an essential spice trading centre in Eastern Indonesia, resulting in a massacre of the Bandanese in 1621.
- 1940 (14 Might)– Rotterdam was heavily bombed throughout WWII by Nazi Germany.
- 1945 (2 September)– The second world war formally ended, and the Netherlands regained its liberty.
- 1940s– 1960s– In the post-war age, Rotterdam is rebuilt with modernist architecture and a concentrate on functional city preparation and development.
- 1945– 1949– The Dutch-Indonesian War began after Indonesia declared self-reliance. The Netherlands formally acknowledged Indonesian sovereignty in 1949.
- 1962– The Port of Rotterdam ends up being the world’s biggest port (a title held until 2004).
- 1991– The Cold War came to an end, marking a shift in worldwide relations, consisting of for the Netherlands.
History of Migration in Rotterdam
Rotterdam has migration to thank for the city it has ended up being. Its strategic area on the River Maas and its deep-water port made it a natural center for trade and travel.
In the 17th century throughout the Dutch Golden Age, the city brought in competent workers, merchants, and refugees. It may shock you, however refugee migration isn’t new. The Huguenots, who were French Protestants leaving persecution, were among those who got here.
This period also consisted of the brutal reality of slavery. The Dutch West India Company (WIC) was an essential gamer in the transatlantic servant trade, transferring enslaved Africans to Dutch colonies in the Caribbean and South America. The Dutch East India Business (VOC) was involved in the Asian servant trade, which mainly supplied enslaved people for domestic work, both within Asia and in the Netherlands.
The legal servant trade ended in 1814, however slavery in Dutch colonies continued up until 1863. The Dutch government and a number of cities, including Rotterdam, have actually considering that provided official apologies for the Netherlands’ function in slavery.
By the 19th and early 20th centuries, Rotterdam had actually ended up being a major departure point for Europeans heading to the Americas. The Holland-America Line ran from Katendrecht and brought millions of passengers throughout the ocean. Lots of migrants stayed in Rotterdam temporarily, making it their home between journeys.
After the Second World War, Rotterdam had to restore quickly. To support this, workers originated from southern Europe, Turkey, Morocco, Suriname, Indonesia, Cape Verde, and the Dutch Caribbean. They played a big part in the city’s recovery and brought brand-new energy and cultures with them.
Today, over half of Rotterdam’s population has a migration background, and about one in eight citizens are believed to have forefathers who were oppressed in the Atlantic area. The biggest migrant communities in Rotterdam are from Morocco, Turkey, and Suriname, and their identity is visible in the food, music, celebrations, and creative scenes.
Verhalenhuis Kaap Belvédère: Rotterdam’s City Stories Centre History Of Rotterdam: Things To Do Visit the Fenix Museum of Migration Rotterdam does not shy away from its complex migration story. The FENIX Museum of Migration opened in May 2025 in Rotterdam’s Katendrecht district, housed in a brought back 1923 warehouse when utilized by
the Holland-America Line. They tell stories across generations and continents and are a reminder that migration has to do with motion, both leaving and getting here. Anticipate a show-stopping entryway with the”Twister”, developed by Ma Yansong of MAD Architects. This distinctive function is the 30-metre-tall stainless-steel double-spiral staircase symbolising the unforeseeable paths of migrants.
The museum’s exhibitions, such as All Instructions and The Family of Migrants, display over 150 artworks and 194 photos, respectively, exploring migration’s worldwide and historical aspects. The Suitcase Labyrinth installation features 2,000 donated luggage representing individual migration stories going back to 1898.
Leave enough time to check out the back story that accompanies each innovative piece to give a greater understanding of the extreme realities of migration and the disparity of chances. I genuinely discovered it rather an emotional experience.
FENIX Museum of Migration|Open Tues-Sun 10am-5pm
Migration Walking Tour in Katendrecht
Katendrecht, frequently called the Cape, was as soon as a hectic dockside district packed with boarding homes for seafarers. Gradually, it became known as a red-light district and one of the city’s rougher locations. It also became a melting pot, home to Europe’s first Chinatown and Greek sailors known locally as parawaners. Throughout WWII, Surinamese jazz musicians dipped into places like Platform since under Nazi guideline, Europeans were banned from performing jazz.
Taking a walking trip through the location today, you hear powerful second-generation stories that bring the area’s migration history to life. Jorge Lizardo shared how his Cape Verdean daddy got here in Rotterdam as a young sailor in the 1960s. David Zee spoke about his Chinese background and how his Dutch granny quit her citizenship to marry his grandpa. These personal stories carry the peculiarities that don’t make it into history books.
Katendrecht has actually altered dramatically recently and has been changed into one of Europe’s trendiest neighbourhoods. Warehouses have actually been regrowed into spaces like the Fenix Food Factory and the Migrant Museum, together with cultural venues, modern-day apartment buildings, and trendy dining establishments with menus that satisfy every craving. The district attracts a brand-new hip crowd, however there’s a real effort to preserve its layered migrant history and offer space to the locals that were its foundations.
BOOK Storyhouse Gazebo Tours
< img width =" 1000 "height ="667 "src="https://www.wandersmiles.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Katendrecht-Tour-Jorge-Lizardo.jpg" alt ="Jorge Lizardo-- Cape Verdean Writer Tourist Guide in Katendrecht educating about the history of Rotterdam"/ > Migrant stories in Katendrecht Rotterdam|| YOU MIGHT LIKE TO READ: 2 DAY ITINERARY FOR THE HAGUE Go To Museum Rotterdam Museum Rotterdam ’40 -’45 NOW informs the story of the Might 14, 1940, bombing and what followed. Through multimedia screens and original artefacts, it shows how daily life altered for Rotterdammers under Nazi profession. One room focuses on the buildings that survived and how they were rebuilt. You’ll likewise find a replica of Ossip Zadkine’s sculpture The Destroyed City, which has ended up being a powerful symbol of the awful event and the spirit of individuals of Rotterdam.
Like many museums, the collection began from a passionate hobbyist. Arie Mast saw the battle of Rotterdam throughout the Maas River from his home in Katendrecht. He started collecting items until his home was overruning and was finally displayed in 1985. Initially based in Katendrecht, the museum has actually been located on Coolhaven harbour considering that 2008.
Museum Rotterdam|Open Tues-Sun 11am-5pm
Find Innovative Statues around Rotterdam
Public statues in the city strongly nod to the intricate history of Rotterdam. Here are a few of my favourites spotted in the city:
- Erasmus by Hendrick de Keyser honours the 16th-century scholar and humanist understood for advocating peace and objectivity. This sign of complimentary speech is the earliest statue in the Netherlands.
- The Destroyed City, created by Ossip Zadkine, captures the scary of the 1940 battle.
- Clave by Alex da Silva acknowledges Rotterdam’s participation in the transatlantic servant trade.
- Minutes Included by Thomas J. Rate stands outdoors Rotterdam Centraal Station. This towering bronze sculpture of a young Black lady in casual sportswear shows a stoic yet susceptible existence.
CLICK to find the thought-provoking statues in Rotterdam
‘Moments Consisted Of’by Thomas J Cost Multi-cultural Food in Rotterdam The food in Rotterdam will never ever get uninteresting, and it tells tales of its migrant influence. There is no shortage of places to go if you’re yearning range. You can grab Turkish lahmacun, Moroccan harira, Surinamese roti, or Indonesian rendang all in one day. Street grocery store like Fenix Food Factory and De Markthal deal worldwide flavours side by side, and neighbourhoods like West-Kruiskade and Katendrecht are packed with Asian, Caribbean, and Middle Eastern eats. 
Moroccan Lentil Soup|| READ MY SUSTAINABLE GUIDE TO AMSTERDAM AND LOW-IMPACT RESTAURANTS IN THE DAM
More Tour concepts: Historic Things To Do in Rotterdam
To check out the subject of freedom in Rotterdam in more detail, you may wish to consider these tours and activities for your schedule:
Thank you to Visit Netherlands for making this trip possible and supporting the development of this guide to assist visitors check out the history of Rotterdam. All opinions and words are completely my own.
PIN to Discover the History Of Rotterdam
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