Wereldmuseum

Cultural Journey Through The Traditions Of The World

After several renovations, the former Ethnological Museum reopened under its new name: Wereldmuseum. The building, dating back to 1851, was originally constructed to house the Royal Dutch Yacht Club.

At the time, the building hosted meetings and parties for high society.

Members of this association donated maritime objects and ethnographic pieces, which led to the foundation of the Prince Hendrik Maritime Museum in 1873.

Origins and Founders of the Museum

In 1883, the municipality decided to establish an ethnographic museum, reflecting the Netherlands’ extensive connections abroad through colonialism, trade with distant countries, and missionary activity. The Wereldmuseum officially opened its doors in 1885.

One of its main founders was Elie van Rijckevorsel, who donated more than 900 objects collected during his many travels around the world.

Van Rijckevorsel was a physicist, meteorologist, explorer, millionaire, and collector. He also founded the Erasmus Foundation of Rotterdam in 1911, created “to promote education, the arts, and the sciences in Rotterdam.”

Collections and Cultural Diversity

The Wereldmuseum houses a collection of more than 80,000 objects from around the globe, many of them donated by the people of Rotterdam themselves.

It offers insight into the traditions and everyday life of small communities across 125 countries, reflecting the cultural diversity of a city that is home to 170 different nationalities.

Wereldmuseum’s aim is to take visitors on a virtual journey through world cultures, showing how global traditions coexist within Rotterdam itself.

The museum is open from Tuesday to Saturday from 10.00 to 17.00.

Wereldmuseum. Willemskade 25, 3016 DM, Rotterdam.

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