Wereldmuseum

Wereldmuseum is literally a world (world) museum, or ethnographic museum. The facility deals with portraying Rotterdam as a multinational city (currently there are representatives of about 170 nations and cultures here), which built its power on the need for wandering, passion for business, colonialism and international cooperation.

The Wereldmuseum was opened in 1885, and one of its founding fathers was Dr. Elie van Rijckevorsel (1845-1928), a scientist and traveler who gave the public an impressive collection of artistic and ethnographic artifacts from Brazil, Africa and Indonesia. Batik, weapons and jewelry were among the nearly one thousand exhibits.

The Wereldmuseum collects and presents exhibits related to funeral, holiday rituals, prayer and other aspects of life in various cultures around the world. The exhibitions presented here illustrate the development of Rotterdam as a city of global importance.