A daily dose of Rotterdam since august 2019
There used to be a big cattle market in Rotterdam at the location I photographed this part of the original fence (corner Goudserijweg / Hugo de Grootstraat). Parts of the fence are the only reminders of this cattle market. On monday for sheeps and pigs and on tuesday horses and cows. The market was located here since 1867 and moved to a new location in 1974. The whole location was redeveloped and was filled with houses. The slaughterhouse nearby (closed in 1981) was reused to house students!
Its sunday so again I found it appropriate to show you a church. Its the Allerheiligste Verlosserkerk (Most Holy Savior church) located at the Goudse Rijweg in the neighbourhood Crooswijk. Build in neogothic style between 1882 – 1884 with a connected monastery build in 1885. About 1050 people could find a seat inside the church, so quite big. Closed in 1978 due to declining church attendance and severe damaged in 1979 by a fire it was decided in 1982 to convert the church to house students. The name of this appartment building? The church…
This sunday morning I walked by this hidden spot. Its maybe difficult to find but its still there, sandwiched between the tall buildings, a Jewish cemetery that dates back to 1696! First used for the Portuguese commune and since 1710 used by the “Hoogduitse” commune, in 1811 consisting of approximately 2100 people. People were buried there until 1820. There are about 200 gravestones, but the older graves are under the most recent ones.
At the start of WWII in 1940 some 13.000 Jews lived in Rotterdam. Nowadays there is not much left of this community. The foundation Boete en verzoening (penance and reconciliation?) takes care of maintenance of this historic place so that it is not forgotten.