Museum Rotterdam was founded in 1905 as the Museum of Antiquities, in an
era when Rotterdam developed into the largest European transit port. Like
many European port cities that witnessed socio-economic upheavals, the
THE CONTEMPORARY CITY AS BACKBONE 41
museum founders were driven by a civilizing ideal and wanted to expose the
Rotterdam working-class people to bourgeois culture.14 Not surprisingly, the
collections on display were an accumulation of objects of a patrician kind,
material testimonies to a glorified past. The Rotterdam Museum of Antiquities
started in the cellars of the Schielandshuis. This 17th-century city palace was
the residence of the Board of Schieland, the public authority of the water district
that controlled the maintenance of the dikes in the area where Rotterdam
was founded around 1270. The Museum of Antiquities became the Historical
Museum of Rotterdam, and the building underwent an intensive restoration in
the 1970s and 1980s. After reopening, it evoked the grandeur of the former
palace. At that time, the Historical Museum of Rotterdam wanted to show
the audiences Rotterdam’s Golden Age. During this century of Dutch world
primacy, the port city had transformed into the second most important city
in the Dutch Republic. The nostalgic and patriotic focus of the museum was
understandable, considering the fact that Rotterdam was bombed by the
Germans inMay 1940 and had lost its city heart. On the ruins of the devastated
city a new modern city was built; the Schielandshuis was the only 17th-century
building that survived the bombardment.
Museum Rotterdam was founded in 1905 as the Museum of Antiquities, in anera when Rotterdam developed into the largest European transit port. Likemany European port cities that witnessed socio-economic upheavals, theTHE CONTEMPORARY CITY AS BACKBONE 41museum founders were driven by a civilizing ideal and wanted to expose theRotterdam working-class people to bourgeois culture.14 Not surprisingly, thecollections on display were an accumulation of objects of a patrician kind,material testimonies to a glorified past. The Rotterdam Museum of Antiquitiesstarted in the cellars of the Schielandshuis. This 17th-century city palace wasthe residence of the Board of Schieland, the public authority of the water districtthat controlled the maintenance of the dikes in the area where Rotterdamwas founded around 1270. The Museum of Antiquities became the HistoricalMuseum of Rotterdam, and the building underwent an intensive restoration inthe 1970s and 1980s. After reopening, it evoked the grandeur of the formerpalace. At that time, the Historical Museum of Rotterdam wanted to showthe audiences Rotterdam’s Golden Age. During this century of Dutch worldprimacy, the port city had transformed into the second most important cityin the Dutch Republic. The nostalgic and patriotic focus of the museum wasunderstandable, considering the fact that Rotterdam was bombed by theGermans inMay 1940 and had lost its city heart. On the ruins of the devastatedcity a new modern city was built; the Schielandshuis was the only 17th-centurybuilding that survived the bombardment.
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