de Boeg

De Boeg: a tribute to the Dutch Merchant Navy

De Boeg is one of Rotterdam’s most important monuments dedicated to the Second World War. Located beside Leuvehaven, close to the Nieuwe Maas river, it commemorates the members of the Dutch Merchant Navy who lost their lives during the conflict.

The monument was designed by sculptor Fred Carasso and remembers the essential role played by Dutch merchant ships during the war, transporting troops, weapons, food and supplies between Allied countries.

During the Second World War, hundreds of Dutch merchant ships were sunk and thousands of sailors lost their lives at sea.

A 46-metre-high bow

The main feature of De Boeg is an enormous stylised bow approximately 46 metres high that appears to cut through concrete waves.

Its shape symbolises the determination and resilience of the merchant navy during the war years, as well as the country’s recovery after liberation.

The metal structure is particularly striking because of its height and its location beside the water, reinforcing the monument’s connection with Rotterdam’s maritime history.

Fred Carasso’s human figures

In 1965, Fred Carasso added a group of figures around the monument to give it a stronger human dimension.

The group depicts a helmsman, several sailors and a drowned person, connected to one another and to part of the ship by a rope as they struggle against the water.

These figures symbolise the sacrifice, danger and courage faced by Dutch merchant sailors during the Second World War.

“They kept their course”

At the base of the monument you can read the inscription “Zij hielden koers”, which can be translated as “They kept their course”.

The phrase sums up the message of De Boeg: remembering those who continued to carry out their mission despite the enormous risks of sailing during the war.

Thanks to its location beside the old harbour and the river, De Boeg forms part of Rotterdam’s maritime memory and maintains a strong connection with the city’s identity as a major port.

De Boeg: practical information

Other sculptures in Rotterdam

Cascade | De Reus | Delftsche Poort | Erasmus | Everybody is dead but us | Fikkie | Gevallenen | Maasbeeld | Marathonbeeld | Marten Toonder | Santa Claus | Untitled | Slavernij Monument | Sylvette | Verwoeste Stad | Westersingel