In 1873, the Netherlands-America Steamship Company was founded in Rotterdam. In 1896 it was renamed Holland-America Line. The ships of this shipping company sailed between the Netherlands and the United States, mainly to New York. In addition to cargo, the line transported passengers for many years. The quay in Rotterdam was the departure point for a long crossing that could take weeks. The shipping company quickly became a symbol of hope and adventure. By 1900, about half a million people had been transported. The new headquarters, designed by architects Müller and Droogleever Fortuyn, opened in 1901.

Mass Emigration

Up until the 1920s, not only tens of thousands of Dutch people but also people from all over Europe left their homeland to build a new life in America. Many came from poor areas and hoped for work, freedom, and a better life in the promised land. For them, that adventure began in Rotterdam, where they boarded one of the ships of the Holland-America Line. In the years that followed, especially after World War II, Rotterdam remained the starting point for many for a departure to America.

HAL Moves Out

With the rise of the airplane, passenger ships were increasingly taken out of service – or converted into cruise ships. The HAL, now taken over by an American cruise company, permanently moved out of Rotterdam in 1977. Seattle became the new home base.

After the departure of the shipping company, the headquarters on the Wilhelminapier remained empty for a long time. In 1984 it was sold to a developer, who rented out office space. In 1988 it was even squatted for a while. There were thoughts of demolition, but with the support of the municipality, the building found a new purpose.

The text continues below the images.

From Headquarters to Hotel

The monumental building received this new purpose in 1993, as a hotel and restaurant: Hotel New York. With the arrival of the Erasmus Bridge (1996), a tram and metro station (1997), and many offices and residences, this part of Rotterdam became integrated with the rest of the city. Where emigrants once waited for their ship, guests now enjoy lunch, overnight stays, or views over the Nieuwe Maas. Even though it is now completely surrounded by high-rise buildings, the history of the Holland-America Line lives on in this iconic part of Rotterdam.

Facts and Figures

The old headquarters of the HAL has been a national monument since 2000. The building was expanded in 1908, 1916, and 1920. In 1913, a 38-meter high tower was built by architect Van der Tak. In 1917, the second tower was added, and the facade received the Art Nouveau elements that we still see today. The Water Taxi, now an inseparable part of Rotterdam, was started by Hotel New York to make the hotel and restaurant more accessible to guests.

Museum Fenix on Migration Opened

On May 15, Queen Máxima opened the long-awaited art museum on migration, not far from Hotel New York. Fenix . Link opens an external pagecalled. The museum is located in the San Francisco warehouse on Katendrecht. The warehouse stands on the quays from which millions of people departed. They went in search of happiness in countries like Canada, Australia, and the US. Migrants from all over Europe traveled to Rotterdam to make the crossing for a new and better life. But migrants also arrived here who stayed, for example from Cape Verde or China. And in the 1950s, thousands of Moluccans landed here. Read more about Fenix here.