Timeline of Rotterdam

The following is a timeline of the history of the municipality of Rotterdam, Netherlands.

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources.

Prior to 19th century

In 1572 Rotterdam was plundered by the Spanish troops of Count Bossu

Map of Rotterdam, 1649

• ca. 950 - Settlement at the lower end of the fen stream Rotte
• 1270 - Dam built on Rotte.
• 1299 - John I, Count of Holland granted rights to the people of Rotterdam, marking the origin of the town.^[1]
• 1328 - Latin school established
• 1340 - City rights granted by William IV, Count of Holland.^[2]
• 1350 - Rotterdamse Schie (canal) constructed (approximate date).
• 1466 - Erasmus, philosopher and Catholic theologian born.^[1]
• 1477 - Saint Lawrence Church consecrated.
• 1489 - Rotterdam besieged by forces of Frans van Brederode.^[1]
• 1563 - Fire.^[3]
• 1572 - Spanish in power.^[1]
• 1574 - Admiralty of Rotterdam organized.
• 1611 - Guild of Saint Luke active (approximate date).^{[citation needed]}
• 1622 - Erasmus statue by Hendrick de Keyser erected.^[4][1]
• 1626 - Collegium Mechanicum established.^[5]
• 1632 - Population: 20,000 (approximate).^[1]
• 1643 - Scottish Presbyterian church built.^[6]
• 1722 - Exchange built.^[4]
• 1769 - Batavian Society for Experimental Philosophy founded.
• 1773 - Studium Scientiarum Genetrix literary society formed.^[7]
• 1780 - Birth of Hendrik Tollens, poet.^[1]
• 1781 - Rotterdamse Academie established.
• 1796 - Population: 53,212.^[1]
• 1797 - Netherlands Missionary Society founded.
• 1798 - Organ installed in Saint Lawrence Church.^[2]

19th century

Plan of Rotterdam in 1873 with plan of expansion

• 1813 - Johan François van Hogendorp van Heeswijk becomes mayor.
• 1835 - Town Hall rebuilt.^[2]
• 1838 - Population: 72,000.^[8]
• 1844 - Nieuwe Rotterdamsche Courant begins publication.^[9]
• 1847 - Delftsche Poort railway station opens.
• 1849 - Boymans Museum opens.^[10]
• 1851 - Royal Maas Yacht Club founded.
• 1857 - Zoo opens.^[1]
• 1859 - Rotterdamsch Leeskabinet (library) founded.
• 1863 - Rotterdam Bank established.
• 1866 - Population: 115,277.^[11]
• 1869 - Feijenoord becomes part of city.^[1]
• 1870 - Municipal waterworks established.^[1]
• 1872 - Nieuwe Waterweg constructed.
• 1873 - Netherlands-America Steamship Company in business.
• 1874
  • Katendrecht village becomes part of city.
  • Oldenzeel art gallery in business.^[12]
  • Fountain installed at Nieuwe Markt.^[4]
  • Maritime Museum founded.^[13]
• 1875
  • Post office built.^[1]
  • Koninklijke Rotterdamsche Lloyd [nl] shipping firm in business.
• 1876 - Rotterdamsche reinigingsdienst formed.
• 1877 - Railway Bridge,^[4] Rotterdam Zuid railway station, and Rotterdam Beurs railway station open.
• 1878 - Willemsbrug opens.^[4]
• 1879
  • Horsecar trams begin operating.
  • Passage (arcade) built.^[4]
• 1882 - Fish Market built.^[4]
• 1885 - Museum for Geography and Ethnology opens.^[14]
• 1886 - Delfshaven becomes part of city.^[1]
• 1891 - Population: 203,500.^[4]
• 1894 - Municipal gas and electricity established.^[1]
• 1895 - Charlois and Kralingen become part of city.^[1]
• 1898 - Witte Huis built.
• 1900 - "Record office" established.^[1]

20th century

• 1904
  • Museum van Oudheden (city history museum) in operation in the Schielandshuis.
  • Schiecentrale built.
• 1905
  • Electric trams begin operating.
  • Population: 379,017.^[1]
• 1908
  • Rotterdam Hofplein railway station opens.
  • Wilhelmina football club formed.
• 1913 - Netherlands School of Commerce founded.
• 1920 - Voorwaarts newspaper begins publication.^[9]
• 1925 - Economic Faculty Association established.
• 1927 - Natural History Museum established.
• 1930
  • Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra active.
  • Naamlooze Vennootschap Margarine Unie in business.^[15][16]
  • Rotterdams Conservatorium founded.
• 1931
  • Rotterdamse Dansschool founded.
  • Van Nelle Factory built.
• 1934
  • Hoogvliet and Pernis become part of city.
  • De Doelen (concert hall and convention centre) built.
• 1937
  • Stadion Feijenoord and Rotterdam Stadion railway station open.
  • Museum of Taxation founded.^[17]
• 1938
  • Pieter Oud becomes mayor.
  • Yevhen Konovalets is assassinated in Rotterdam by Pavel Sudoplatov.
• 1940
  • May 14: Rotterdam Blitz.^[18]
  • Diergaarde Blijdorp (zoo) re-opens.
• 1941 - Hillegersberg, IJsselmonde, Overschie, and Schiebroek become part of city.
• 1945 - Pieter Oud becomes mayor again.
• 1946
  • Plan for the Reconstruction of Rotterdam [nl] adopted.
  • Algemeen Dagblad begins publication.
• 1953
  • Rotterdam Blaak railway station and Rotterdam Noord railway station open.
  • Groothandelsgebouw built.
• 1956 - Airport opens.
• 1957 - Rotterdam Centraal railway station opens.
• 1958 - Arboretum Trompenburg opens.
• 1960
  • Euromast tower built.
  • City hosts Floriade horticulture exhibition.
• 1962 - Port of Rotterdam ranked world's busiest port by cargo tonnage.^{[citation needed]}
• 1964
  • Rotterdam Lombardijen railway station opens.
  • Hilton Hotel built.
• 1965 - Regional Rinjmond Public Authority created.^[19]
• 1966 - De Doelen (concert hall and convention centre) rebuilt.
• 1968 - Rotterdam Metro begins operating.
• 1969 - Rotterdam Alexander railway station opens.
• 1970
  • Poetry International first performance.
  • NRC Handelsblad begins publication, after the merger between Nieuwe Rotterdamsche Courant and Algemeen Handelsblad
  • Nedlloyd shipping firm in business.
  • Kralingen Music Festival held.
• 1972 International Film Festival Rotterdam first started.
• 1973
  • Charlois, Hoogvliet, and Hoek van Holland sub-municipalities created.^[20]
  • Maasvlakte in operation.
• 1974 - André van der Louw becomes mayor.
• 1975
  • Prins Alexander sub-municipality created.^[20]
  • Werkcentrum Dans founded.
• 1976
  • IJsselmonde and Centrum Noord sub-municipalities created.^[20]
  • Stoom Stichting Nederland railway museum founded.
• 1977 - Sviib (student association) organized.
• 1979 - HNLMS Buffel museum ship opens.
• 1981
  • Rotterdam Marathon begins.
  • Baroeg (music venue) in business.
• 1982 - Bram Peper becomes mayor.
• 1984
  • Zomercarnaval begins.
  • Cube houses built near Oude Haven.
• 1986 - Port of Rotterdam ranked world's busiest container port.^{[citation needed]}
• 1988 - Hogeschool Rotterdam established.
• 1990 - Witte de With Center for Contemporary Art^[21] and Shipping and Transport College established.^[22]
• 1991 - Gebouw Delftse Poort built.
• 1992 - Kunsthal art museum opens.
• 1993
  • Netherlands Architecture Institute relocates to Rotterdam.
  • Chabot Museum opens.^[23]
• 1994 - V2 Institute for the Unstable Media active.
• 1996
  • Erasmus Bridge opens.
  • Schouwburgplein (square) redesigned.
• 1997 - MAMA project established by Public Art Squad Foundation.^[24]
• 1999
  • Ivo Opstelten becomes mayor.
  • WORM (Rotterdam) active.^[25]
• 2000
  • Architecture Film Festival Rotterdam begins.^{[citation needed]}
  • Codarts University for the Arts opens.
  • KPN Tower built.

21st century

Map of Rotterdam (2009)

• 2001
  • World Port Center built.
  • Oceanium (aquarium) opens.
  • City designated a European Capital of Culture.
• 2002 - Regio Randstad regional governance group formed.^[26]
• 2003 - Netherlands Photo Museum opens.
• 2005 - Montevideo (residential skyscraper) built.
• 2006
  • North Sea Jazz Festival begins in Rotterdam.
  • Rotterdam Circus Arts founded.^{[citation needed]}
• 2007 - RandstadRail and Betuweroute in operation.
• 2009
  • Ahmed Aboutaleb becomes first Muslim mayor of a major European city.
  • Maastoren skyscraper built.
• 2010
  • Rozenburg becomes part of city.
  • Pernis sub-municipality created.
  • New Orleans (residential skyscraper) built.
  • 2010 Tour de France cycling race starts from Rotterdam.
• 2012 - Population: 616,250.
• 2013 Maasvlakte 2 in operation.
• 2014
  • Market Hall built.
  • Rotterdam Centraal station in operation.
• 2020 - Population: 651,376
• 2021
  • Depot Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen.^[27]
  • De Zalmhaven built.
  • Floating Office Rotterdam (FOR)^[28] built, accommodating the Global Center on Adaptation.

See also

• History of Rotterdam [nl]
• List of mayors of Rotterdam
• List of churches in Rotterdam [nl]
• List of national monuments in Rotterdam [nl]
• Timelines of other municipalities in the Netherlands: Amsterdam, Breda, Delft, Eindhoven, Groningen, Haarlem, The Hague, 's-Hertogenbosch, Leiden, Maastricht, Nijmegen, Utrecht