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Introducing Rotterdam
Rotterdam, the Netherlands’ ‘second city’, was bombed flat during WWII and spent the following decades rebuilding. You won’t find the classic Dutch medieval centre here – it was swept away along with the other rubble and detritus of war. In its place is an architectural aesthetic that’s unique in Europe, a progressive perpetual-motion approach to construction that’s clearly a result of the city’s postwar, postmodern ‘anything goes’ philosophy.
But tradition is strong elsewhere, for Rotterdam is Europe’s busiest port (and second in the world) – a lineage as a shipping nexus that dates back to 1572, when Spaniards being pursued by the rebel Sea Beggars were given shelter in the harbour. Rotterdam became a major port during the conflict, and it remains so to this day.
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