Description
Dutch port in the Rhine-Meuse-Scheldt delta which, after centuries of secondary importance, emerged in the 19th century as one of the world's largest ports, mainly due to its role as a gateway to the industrialized interior of Germany.
Year of Foundation or Oldest Source
Settlement formed around a dam on the Rotte River around 1270. Remained relatively small until the mid-19th century.
Country (State or Region)
The Netherlands
Location
Rotterdam, South Holland, The Netherlands, on the banks of the Nieuwe Maas (a distributary of the Rhine and Meuse).
Structuring
River port with access to the sea. The historic docks and quays (17th century) were located on the north bank of the river. The great expansion of the 19th century included the construction of new and extensive port basins on the south bank (Feijenoord), connected by bridges and railways. The crucial engineering work was the excavation of the Nieuwe Waterweg (1866-1872), a deep and direct channel to the North Sea, eliminating the need to navigate the complex and shallow arms of the delta.
Notes
During the Dutch Golden Age and the 18th century, Rotterdam was a minor port compared to Amsterdam. Its spectacular growth in the 19th century was driven by the Industrial Revolution in Germany (especially in the Ruhr basin), which demanded the import of raw materials (coal, iron ore) and the export of manufactured goods via the Rhine. The construction of the Nieuwe Waterweg was essential to allow access for large-draft steamships. It became one of Europe's main transit ports, competing fiercely with Antwerp. There were debates in the early 19th century about adopting free port status to stimulate trade.
Sources
CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS. The Cambridge Companion to the Dutch Golden Age. 2018.; MARNOT, Bruno. Ports as Tools of European Expansion. Encyclopédie d'histoire numérique de l'Europe [online], 2020.; REPUBLIEK.EUR.NL. Profiling the ports of Rotterdam, Antwerp, and Hamburg. [s.d.].; RESEARCHGATE. The Ports of Amsterdam and Rotterdam 1850-1940. [s.d.].; TANDFONLINE. Free ports in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. 2023.
