allaboutwomen

There was a day in World War II when Adolph HItler dreamed of taking over the Netherlands. He almost succeeded. Hitler was confident that he could overtake the Netherlands quickly and easily, but he didn’t count on the resistance he encountered from the Dutch army. The Germans thoroughly bombed Rotterdam on May 14, 1940 and the city was nearly destroyed. The German Luftwaffe killed 900 civilians and left 80,000 homeless. Holland, not wanting any more bombings, finally acquiesced to Hitler’s demands. Amazingly, the Rotterdam City Hall was one of the only buildings left standing after the horrible tragedy. Today, a statue by Ossip Zadkine, capturing this event now stands near the very spot of the original City Hall in the heart of Rotterdam.

During the 1950's and 1960's, Rotterdam was slowly rebuilt. The city became known as an open and windy city until further rebuilding in the 1980's began to develop an active architectural policy. New architects tried daring, new styles of apartments and office buildings. This all resulted in a more livable city with a beautiful new skyline. In the 1990's a brand new and huge business center was built on the south bank of the river Nieuwe Maas.

Rotterdam’s ports are some of the busiest in the Netherlands when it comes to shipping. In fact, it is the largest port in Europe. Swiss and French ships can find access to the ports from the Rhine and Meuse rivers. In 2006, Rotterdam became the world’s 7th biggest container port city in all the world. Through the years the ports were built up by the petrochemical industries and large cargo shipments, but soon the ports were known for shipping bulk materials to Europe and the rest of the globe.

The goods that come into the ports come from river barges, roads, ships and even by train from countries all over. Massive railways and bridges have been rebuilt to supply the harbors with the transit they need to deliver their goods in a timely manner.

Rotterdam had a long way to rebuild its culture in the last sixty years. But in 2001, Rotterdam was once again the European Capital of Culture. The city once again has a world renowned orchestra, the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra. The conductor of the orchestra is a world famous musical director. Now there are countless theaters, playhouses and even concert halls you can visit. There are also festivals and large exhibits that celebrate the Rotterdam rebuilding. There are International Film Festivals, International Poetry Festivals and the North Sea Jazz Festival. They have summer carnivals and World Harbor days. There is also a major zoo on the northwest side of Rotterdam with a walk through aquarium called the Oceanium. There is also a healthy and continuing competition between Rotterdam and Amsterdam. The city has a self-image that rivals no other city. This city was virtually destroyed during WWII and slowly found its way back into the heart and soul of the world. Hitler’s undoing of Rotterdam was the beginning of a remarkable new city.