750 years Rotte | dam - expo at Museum Rotterdam

Bryan van Putten Special Events 27 August 2020

In 2020, it will be 750 years since the dam was laid in the Rotte. A historic moment for the creation of Rotterdam! To mark this milestone, Museum Rotterdam and Archeologie Rotterdam (BOOR), are organizing the exhibition '750 years Rotte | dam'.

Using various archaeological objects, texts and visual material - including special photographs, drawings and two new documentaries - various stories will be told in the expo. Learn everything about ships and locks, immerse yourself in the world of water management, and marvel at the history of Rotterdam. The top piece in the expo is a punter, a boat that was used to close the dam in the Rotte and was found during archaeological research in 1991.

At the beginning of the nineties, Rotterdam archaeologists were investigating the dam from which Rotterdam owes its name. Deep in the construction pit of the Willemsspoortunnel they make a sensational discovery: there is a complete boat under the dam! The punter-like vessel was used to close the last hole. The ship's wood also reveals when the dam was built: around 1270. This small ship, which created our city 750 years ago, is now on display for the first time in Museum Rotterdam!

The ship is a sensational Rotterdam relic: the punter is - almost literally - the basis of our world port city. The first Rotterdammers built their houses on the dam in the Rotte. Besides the original punter, the exhibition shows the centuries-old connection between Rotterdam, shipping and water management. From the ingenious drainage sluices in the medieval dam to the latest rain radar and smart roofs.

Visiting the 750 Years Rotte | dam expo

The exhibition 750 years Rotte | dam can be seen in Museum Rotterdam, from 5 September to 21 March 2021 and is a collaboration with Archeologie Rotterdam (BOOR) and is further made possible by Mondriaanfonds and Ik in 010.

Voet aan de Grond

In the adjacent Halvemaanpassage another expo will open on September 5th: Voet aan de Grond. A very nice addition to our project, and only 25 meters away!

For all activities around the theme 750 years dam in the Rotte, please visit www.ookditisderotte.nl.

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