Schielandshuis

A 17th-Century Palace

The Schielandshuis building in Rotterdam was constructed between the years 1662 and 1655 by order of the Water Board of the Schieland district. At that time, Coolsingel was still a canal.

The Schielandshuis was built between 1662 and 1655 by order of the Water Board of the Schieland district, when Coolsingel was still a canal. The presumed architect was Pieter Post, and the concept was developed by Jacob Louis, historian and chronicler of Rotterdam.

In 1665, the building began functioning as the headquarters of the polder administrators, responsible for supervising the dikes and docks around Rotterdam. It was one of the most striking buildings in the city center, with a palace-like appearance, and even Napoleon once slept there.

Museum and Historical Collections

In 1773, a theatre was built in the basement, and later the first floor was converted into a workspace for the city council. The municipality of Rotterdam purchased the building in 1840.

After the death of art collector F.J.O. Boymans in 1847, his collection was donated to the city, and in 1849 the Boijmans Museum was inaugurated. A fire in the mid-19th century destroyed much of the artwork, documents, and original furnishings, leaving only the walls intact. In 1867, the museum reopened as the Museum of Antiquities, and later the artworks were moved to the Boijmans van Beuningen Museum, inaugurated in 1938.

The Schielandshuis is the only 17th-century building in central Rotterdam that survived the bombings of the Second World War. After a long restoration, it reopened in 1986 as the home of the Historical Museum of Rotterdam and the Atlas van Stolk.

Sculpture to Guillermo IV, Count of Hainaut

Atlas van Stolk

The Atlas van Stolk is an important collection of prints, paintings, and photographs documenting the history of the Netherlands, compiled by timber merchant Abraham van Stolk (1814–1896). It contains approximately 1,000 children’s books and 1,500 children’s prints, totaling nearly 250,000 images. The word “atlas” does not refer to maps, but to an organized collection of historical images.

At the entrance of the building stands the statue of William IV, Count of Hainaut (1318–1345), placed on November 7, 1990, to mark the 650th anniversary of Rotterdam, in honor of the city rights granted to Rotterdam in 1340.

Today, although much of the building remains vacant, Rotterdam Partners and Rotterdam Tourist Information are its main tenants, bringing activity and life back to this iconic historic building.

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