A daily dose of Rotterdam since august 2019
While waiting for my turn to enter a store (a long waiting line these days) my eyes wandered over the nearby buildings, and I noticed this entrance to the old library, from 1923 according to the gable stone, the interbellum, an interesting time for me in terms of art, architecture, music, etc. What is your year or period in history?
Quiet roads and streets so briefly stopped when passing the Erasmus University to take a picture! Built in (typical concrete style, brutalism) 1973 but established in 1913. Location; Burgemeester Oudlaan…
I took this photo not far from where he was born, reading his book, executed in bronze, Erasmus. The oldest statue in the Netherlands was on the Grotemarkt before 1940. Unscathed from the bombing and hidden until May 1945, its then was placed on the Coolsingel. When the metro was built in 1963, it was relocated to the Grotekerkplein. The Erasmus statue is in a straight line to his birth house.
Notes:
When you come to visit Rotterdam you will often come across the name Erasmus. He was a Dutch priest, Augustinian canon, theologian, philosopher, writer and humanist. Born in Rotterdam around 1466 and known for books such as “Lof der Zotheid (Praise of Folly)” and the bilingual edition of the New Testament and his edition of the letters of the church father Hiëronymus. Two motives determine Erasmus’s philosophy: freedom of people and peace. In Rotterdam you can find schools, a hospital and streets named after him. The picture you see here is of a monument on the spot of where the birthplace of Erasmus was. Near the Laurenskerk in the centre of Rotterdam.
For this picture I visited the old Dijkzigt ziekenhuis (hospital). Located at ‘s Gravendijkwal – Westzeedijk. Don’t worry, I’m not sick, this building is disused now, there is a whole new building (a photo another day) that is supermodern, superbig and hopefully a super hospital! This old building was opened in 1961 and reminded me of a DDR or Sovjet building, due to the concrete and styling…
Its a saturday, you have the weekend off, so time to read! You can visit the main library here in Rotterdam to get your books! I’ve taken a picture here before, remember? The library is build in 1983, designed by Jaap Bakema and Hans Boot. The architecture is reminiscent of the Center Pompidou in Paris, with steel pipes that run down the glass façade from the roof. On the façade on the Binnenrotte is a text from Erasmus, including his signature, in neon tube letters: “The whole world is my homeland”. And now its time to read, a book or tomorrow my next post!
This is the Erasmus University College building, located at the Nieuwe Markt (the New Market). This building was the former Gemeente Bibliotheek (municipality library) 1923 – 1983. In 1983 a new building was built at the corner Hoogstraat / Binnenrotte in a style that is reminiscent of Centre Pompidou in Paris (I show you a picture later). And from 2013 till now about 750 students attend here the Erasmus University College, the undergraduate college of Erasmus University Rotterdam. At the right you see a glimp of a fountain, that is a subject for another day!