Schielandshuis

The Schielandshuis building in Rotterdam was built between 1662 and 1655 by the Schieland District Water Board. It was constructed when Coolsingel was still a canal.

The presumed architect is Pieter Post, and Jacob Louis developed the concept. Jacob Louis, who was also an architect, wrote a chronicle about the city of Rotterdam.

In 1665, the Schielandshuis was put into operation by polder administrators. Their task was to oversee the dikes and docks around Rotterdam. It was one of the most remarkable buildings in the center of Rotterdam with a palace-like appearance. Even Emperor Napoleon slept in the house.

In 1773, a theater was built in the basement, and later, the first floor became a modern workplace for municipal staff. The municipality of Rotterdam purchased the private building in 1840.

The art collector from Utrecht, F.J.O. Boymans, wanted to leave his art in the city on the condition that a suitable place was found. After his death in 1847, he donated his art collection to the municipality of Rotterdam. Two years later, the Boijmans Museum opened its doors.

A major fire in the mid-19th century caused significant damage. Documents, artworks, and the original furniture from the 17th century were lost. Only the walls remained.

In 1867, the museum was reopened. The main attraction was the antiquities hall, which housed municipal archives. In 1904, the museum was renamed the Museum of Antiquities. The art later moved to the Boijmans van Beuningen Museum, which opened in 1938.

Het Schielandshuis is the only 17th-century building in the city center that survived the bombings of World War II.

In the 1970s, new plans were made for the building, and after extensive restoration, it reopened in 1986 as the main headquarters of the Rotterdam Historical Museum and the Atlas van Stolk.

In recent years, the city house has mostly remained empty. Currently, Rotterdam Partners and Rotterdam Tourist Information are its main tenants, and the house is once again bustling with activity.

Sculpture to Guillermo IV, Count of Hainaut

Atlas van Stolk

Atlas van Stolk is a large collection of prints, canvases, and photographs documenting the history of the Netherlands, assembled by the timber merchant Abraham van Stolk (1814-1896). The collection includes about 1000 children’s books and around 1500 children’s engravings.

With nearly 250,000 images depicting the history of the Netherlands, the Atlas van Stolk collection is one of the most important national image collections. The word “atlas” in this context does not refer to a book of maps but is a 19th-century term for a collection.

The statue located at the entrance was placed on November 7, 1990, to celebrate Rotterdam’s 650th anniversary. It represents William IV, Count of Hainaut (1318-1645), who granted city rights to Rotterdam in 1340.

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