Schielandshuis

The Schielandshuis is the only preserved building from the seventeenth century in the center of Rotterdam and was built between 1662 and 1665.

The story of the Schielandshuis

If the walls could talk, we would know so much more about the rich history of the Schielandshuis. It was built at a time when the Coolsingel was still a canal and the skyline of Rotterdam was determined by the Laurenskerk. In 1665, the Schielandshuis was put into use by polder administrators of wealthy descent. They ensured, among other things, that the water in the city was controlled. Under them, the Schielandshuis took on the appearance of a city palace. It is not without reason that the French Emperor Napoleon and Alexander, the Tsar of Russia, once slept here.

Beacon of history

For more than a century and a half, the Schielandshuis was a home to the Schieland Water Board. She used the luxurious accommodation for meetings, eating and sleeping. During its first glory years it was not open to the public. It was considered one of the most striking buildings in the center of Rotterdam and was a real attraction. The atmosphere of that time can still be found in the interior of the period rooms today. In the lean years, when the Schielandshuis lost its function as a place to stay, the house was still rented out and opened to the public. In 1773, a theater was built in the basement and a few years later the first floor became an 'on stand' workplace for city hall employees. The municipality of Rotterdam bought the private building in 1840. The Utrecht art collector Mr. FJO Boymans wanted to bequeath his art to the city on the condition that a suitable place was found for it. A few years later, Museum Boymans opened its doors.