Rotterdam is not a typical centuries-old Dutch city; I knew
that much. Before we decided to visit, just about the only thing I knew about
Rotterdam was that the Germans made it a perfectly clear example of why it was
in the Netherlands’ best interest to capitulate when Germany invaded in 1940. Killing
a thousand civilians and leaving some 80,000 people homeless, the Luftwaffe
destroyed much of the city center. Hitler promised similar results in other
Dutch cities. The Netherlands surrendered after just three days. After the war,
there remained very little Dutch antiquity to salvage, so it was rebuilt—to put
it mildly.
Almost 800 years ago a dam was built across the Rotte River,
and about 700 years ago the populated area that grew up around it was granted
city rights by the Count of Holland. Today, Rotterdam has a population of
almost 700,000 people, and the greater suburban area has more than twice that.
Calling itself the “Gateway to Europe,” Rotterdam boasts the largest deep-water
port in all of Europe and the tenth largest port in the world.
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| Rotterdam 1940 |
Living in Holland makes it easy to hate what the Nazis did.
I mean that. Using unprecedented military intimidation they proceeded to
conquer Europe. What they did to Rotterdam is among the best examples of the
disregard for and the savage decimation of the cultural heritage of others. Walking
the streets of Rotterdam and seeing the marvelously unique architecture
reminded me time and again that none of it would even exist if not for three
days of destruction from May 13-15, 1940.
The buildings are stunning. I wonder where else on earth
such unique architectural design is even welcomed, let alone encouraged. It is
as if the city planners will only consider proposals if the plans are
outrageously singular. Oh don’t get me wrong—there are plenty of reminders of
Dutch heritage. Amidst the extraordinarily exceptional modernistic designs can
be found the seemingly misplaced treasures of the Golden Age—the few survivors
of the bombardment.
Without a true objective in mind, we opted for a walking
tour, knowing that the Markthal (indoor market) would surely be somewhere along
the way. It was. Like other remarkable examples of ingenious architecture, the
Markthal is a triumph of Dutch ingenuity. Replete with a four-story “car-park”
and two stories of shopping and food vendors, the Markthal is awesome. The only
complaint I could conjure was one first uttered by Yogi Berra: nobody goes
there because it’s too crowded. I think Yogi was talking about this place. It
was even hard to wander from one end to the other there were so many people.
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| Markthal ceiling |
 |
| A portion of the harbor |
 |
| Locals call this "Butt Plug Gnome" |
 |
| Centraal Station |
 |
To each his own
|
Rotterdam is not a typical centuries-old Dutch city; I knew
that much. Before we decided to visit, just about the only thing I knew about
Rotterdam was that the Germans made it a perfectly clear example of why it was
in the Netherlands’ best interest to capitulate when Germany invaded in 1940. Killing
a thousand civilians and leaving some 80,000 people homeless, the Luftwaffe
destroyed much of the city center. Hitler promised similar results in other
Dutch cities. The Netherlands surrendered after just three days. After the war,
there remained very little Dutch antiquity to salvage, so it was rebuilt—to put
it mildly.
The buildings are stunning. I wonder where else on earth
such unique architectural design is even welcomed, let alone encouraged. It is
as if the city planners will only consider proposals if the plans are
outrageously singular. Oh don’t get me wrong—there are plenty of reminders of
Dutch heritage. Amidst the extraordinarily exceptional modernistic designs can
be found the seemingly misplaced treasures of the Golden Age—the few survivors
of the bombardment.
Without a true objective in mind, we opted for a walking
tour, knowing that the Markthal (indoor market) would surely be somewhere along
the way. It was. Like other remarkable examples of ingenious architecture, the
Markthal is a triumph of Dutch ingenuity. Replete with a four-story “car-park”
and two stories of shopping and food vendors, the Markthal is awesome. The only
complaint I could conjure was one first uttered by Yogi Berra: nobody goes
there because it’s too crowded. I think Yogi was talking about this place. It
was even hard to wander from one end to the other there were so many people.
Gotta love the "Butt Plug Gnome"!
ReplyDeleteI've seen you in that suit before Jay, but I didn't know you had a matching hard hat. Nice.
ReplyDelete