Entrepothaven

Entrepothaven was excavated in the late 19th century due to the increasing commercial activity in the city and the lack of sufficient port space along the Maas River.

The entrepreneur Lodewijk Pincoffs acquired the land on the southern riverbank to construct warehouses and ports. Since 1828, it had been permitted to store goods in the country without paying taxes until they left the storage area. This turned Rotterdam into a transshipment hub.

In 1874, the Entrepotgebouw Vijf Werelddelen (Five Continents) building was constructed to store coffee, tea, sugar, and spices. This building became the most modern warehouse in Europe, equipped with hydraulic cranes, railway lines, and its own harbor, Entrepothaven. The building is nearly 200 meters long and it is divided into five sections named after the continents.

The Entrepot building has been converted into a supermarket and several apartments. This harbor has now become a relaxing and vibrant area, with its numerous restaurants and cafes offering views of the marina filled with luxury yachts.

At the entrance of the harbor, on the other side of the drawbridge, stands the Monument to the Jewish Children. It memorializes the 686 Jewish children from Rotterdam who were deported and perished during World War II. The monument is designed as a semicircle, displaying the names of all the children.

During World War II, the Jews of Rotterdam were deported from Loods 24. Among them were 686 children aged one month to twelve years, whose names are still known. Alongside the adults, they were transported by train to the Westerbork camp in Drenthe, and from there, mostly to Auschwitz or Sobibor, where they were murdered.

The Poortgebouw and the drawbridge in Entrepothaven

In the Loods 24 square, located in this area, a green area has been preserved in memory of the nearly 7,000 people deported from this place to concentration camps. It was designed as a reflective green space, with a stone bench on the site of the former shed. Later, five light masts and a commemorative plaque were installed.

Next to the drawbridge that allows vessels to enter Entrepothaven from the river, you will find the Poortgebouw. It was built in 1879 as the headquarters of the Lodewijk Pincoffs Trade Association and served, among other purposes, as the office for management and cargo of the Holland-America Line cruise company between 1889 and 1901.

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