Remembering the bombing of Rotterdam on the 14th of May – DutchReview

On May 14, 1940, the Nazis bombed Rotterdam (600-900 dead); the Netherlands surrendered to Germany. From the article:

"Remembering the bombing of Rotterdam on the 14 of May

Just ten days after the yearly Dutch commemoration that is Dodenherdenking and Bevrijdingsdag, the inhabitants of Rotterdam have another infamous date to remember: May 14th. It was on this day, now seventy-eight years ago, that a Nazi bombardment utterly destroyed the center of Rotterdam. Known internationally as the Rotterdam Blitz, the Dutch know it simply as het Bombardement.

The bombing of Rotterdam aka Rotterdam Blitz
Call it the Dutch equivalent of Pearl Harbor if you will: the effect of the bombing of Rotterdam was as decisive as it was horrible. After several days of fierce fighting, the Nazi invasion of The Netherlands had come to a stalemate in Rotterdam. Taken by surprise by the fierce resistance of the Dutch army, Hitler knew he had to break the spirit of the Dutch people as a whole. So it was that Nazi bombers dropped incendiary bombs over Rotterdam, quickly starting a fire which destroyed approximately 25,000 homes and ended the lives of nearly 900 people. The Dutch were at last no match for the Nazi war machine. Yielding to threats that the same fate would await Utrecht and Amsterdam, the Dutch surrendered unconditionally after the bombing of Rotterdam, marking the beginning of five years of Nazi occupation.

The German ultimatum ordering the Dutch commander of Rotterdam to cease fire was delivered to him at 10:30 a.m. on May 14, 1940. At 1:22 p.m., German bombers set the whole inner city of Rotterdam ablaze, killing 30,000 of its inhabitants. From

Bombing of Rotterdam: the legacy
How can we best keep this part of history preserved for future generations? Not by a shitty movie with Jantje Smit, that’s for sure.

Fortunately, the people of Rotterdam are nothing if not down-to-Earth and pro-active. In a previous article, I already hinted at the exhibition De Aanval (‘The Attack’), an overwhelming experience where the horrific event of 1940 is recreated from multiple perspectives.

The most confrontational to the bombing of Rotterdam, however, is without a doubt the statue De Verwoeste Stad. Located at a square named after the year 1940, the statue leaves the viewer with a haunting image of a soul in anguish that had its heart torn out. The Bombardement has been an important reason why Dutch resentment against Germans lingered for a long time after World War II. In this respect, it’s quite telling that there’s another bombardment of Rotterdam which took place during the war which has remained unknown for a long time. On March 31, 1943, a tragic mistake caused several dozen American B-17 bombers to drop their deadly load on residential areas rather than at the Nazi military installations. More than three hundred people lost their lives. Fittingly named ‘The Forgotten Bombardment‘, this historical event has been shrouded in silence for decades until the unspoken ban was lifted in the ’90s.

Rotterdam today
Rotterdam literally rose from the ashes to become a beacon of Dutch culture once again. Priding itself with its no-nonsense mentality, Rotterdam is a city teaming with life and innovation. As we say here: niet lullen, maar poetsen (this is best left untranslated, but it refers to a hands-on work ethos). Home to some of the most well-known Dutch pieces of architecture such as the Euromast and the Kubuswoningen, the skyline of Rotterdam is no less than iconic. Labelled as one of the places to go in 2014 by the New York Times and winner of the 2015 Urbanism Award. It was also voted one of the top cities by Lonely Planet in 2016 and also one of the top best European destinations in 2017. Rotterdam is now a magnet for expats and young talent from the world over."