Noordereiland (Northern Island): a name that may evoke images of razor-sharp cliffs rising from the ice-cold waters of the arctic sea, lashed by blizzards. That image is false, as we do not find the island in question somewhere north of the polar circle but in the Nieuwe Maas river, right in the heart of Rotterdam. And in spite of what its name is suggesting it does not belong to the northern but to the southern part of the city, on the left bank of the river.

I have had my doubts about whether this island actually deserves a place on this site. From a purely objective view it doesn't really meet the criteria that I have formulated on my Intro page. In fact, it isn't an island and it never was in the past, as it always has been chained to the banks of the river by bridges. Neither it is a natural city island like the Île de la Cité in Paris, which is being washed by the waters of the river Seine since time immemorial. The Noordereiland came into existence only in 1876 when the Koningshaven (King's Dock) was excavated, separating it from the south bank. So, it cannot really boast a long island history.

Yet I have finally decided to stretch my self-imposed criteria to suit the Noordereiland, as I think it is too unusual to be ignored. There is a very special kind of 'island feeling' present here that is fuelled by a group of residents led by the Belgian artist Joe Cillen. From the early nineties they propagate the idea that the Noordereiland isn't really an island but a huge ship that leads its own life, independent from the mainland. Since then they are working continuously to bring the appearance of their island more and more in conformity with this vision.

About Rotterdam - and Amsterdam as well

Anyone who is familiar with the Netherlands also knows about the never-ending rivalry between Amsterdam and Rotterdam, the country's two major cities. For centuries Rotterdam had to content itself with a modest place in the shadow of Amsterdam, the capital. The only European capital, by the way, that never has had any government buildings or embassies as the country's administrative center has always been settled in The Hague.

But in the nineteenth century the tide turned when the Nieuwe Waterweg (New Waterway) was constructed, giving Rotterdam what Amsterdam was so badly missing: an open connection to the sea that made its port accessible for the biggest ships of that time. On top of that, the river Rhine provided Rotterdam with a perfect connection to the industrializing German hinterland. These ideal conditions triggered a booming growth of Rotterdam as a port of transshipment that quickly surpassed Amsterdam and even became the largest port in the world in 1962. 

At about the same time that the Nieuwe Waterweg was opened, in 1872, the development started of the southern part of the city on the left bank of the river Maas, which was still vacant by then. There was the island of Feijenoord, formed by the the rivers Nieuwe Maas and Zwanegat, which had been acquired by the city of Rotterdam at the end of the sixteenth century and that was being used as a garbage dump. It was also the city's execution site and according to some sources the island owes its name to one of the hangmen of that time named Feije (Feijenoord = Feije's place). 

During the last decades of the nineteenth century several new docks were built here, incuding the Noorderhaven (Northern Dock) that was  renamed to Koningshaven (King's Dock) when King William III paid a working visit to Rotterdam. The completion of the dock caused the northern tip of Feijenoord to become separated from the rest to form an island of its own: the Noordereiland. On the new island houses were built to provide accommodation for the thousands of workers that poured in from far and near to work in the new docks.

The bridges to link the new island with both riversides were completed in 1877 and 1878: the Koningsbrug (King's Bridge) and the Koninginnebrug (Queen's Bridge) across the Koningshaven and the two Willemsbruggen (William's Bridges), one for road traffic and one for the railway, spanning the Nieuwe Maas side by side.

In 1927 the railway bridge across the Koningshaven was replaced by a steel lift bridge, soothingly nicknamed 'De Hef' ('The Lift') by the people of Rotterdam, which became the city's showpiece for many years. Since the railway disappeared into a tunnel under the river in 1993 'De Hef' is no longer operational, but it will be preserved for the future as an industrial monument.

As stated before the Rotterdam port was booming in the twentieth century. Vast docks complexes were realized on the south bank of the Maas river including the Rijnhaven (Rhine Dock), Maashaven (Maas Dock) and the largest of them all, the Waalhaven (Waal Dock). A development that was harshly interrupted by the Second World War, which began for the Netherlands on the 10th of May of 1940, when German troops invaded the country.

A few days after the beginning of the invasion the Germans controlled large parts of the country, but near Rotterdam Dutch forces offered tough resistance. German paratroopers, supported by armored units, occupied the south bank of the Maas river and stood on the strategically situated Noordereiland, but they did not succeed to advance into the city center along the two William's Bridges. A impasse arose, to which the Germans replied with the threat to bomb the city if the Dutch would not give up.

Negotiations about a surrender stranded and on the 14th of May, just after noon, the city center was bombed by several dozens of Heinkel He-111 bombers. Devastation was tremendous. Fierce fires that broke out all over the place reduced the city center to ashes. Over 800 people were killed and more than 25,000 houses were destructed. The bombing of Rotterdam and the German threat that other cities were to suffer the same fate finally resulted in the unconditional surrender of all Dutch forces.

After the liberation of the Netherlands in May 1945 Rotterdam was left behind as a city without a heart. There was a bare plain gaping between the railway station and the Maas river, which inspired the Russian-French sculptor Ossip Zadkine, after a visit to Rotterdam in 1947, to the creation of his famous sculpture 'Verwoeste Stad' ('Devastated City'). It's a twisted human figure, with its arms thrown up in despair, and a hole in the place where the heart should be. The sculpture is located at the Leuvehaven (Leuve Dock), right across the Noordereiland.

Since the early fifties Rotterdam has been working energetically on rebuilding its city center. The city council opted for a new development from scratch instead of a reconstruction of the former inner city. As a result, Rotterdam's new heart is ultramodern, spacious and functional and presents an almost indescribable contrast with the historical inner city of Amsterdam that was largely shaped in the seventeenth century.

Cold, windy, bleak and cheerless, that's what the Amsterdam people disparagingly say about Rotterdam. Characterizations that surely were to the point during the years that the Rotterdam city center was one vast building excavation. But nowadays the citizens of Rotterdam shrug their shoulders about the lashing of those from Amsterdam. They have finally overcome their inferiority complex. After all, didn't their city have the largest port in the world (recently surpassed by that of Singapore), the first underwater tunnel in the Netherlands (Maas Tunnel, 1942), the first subway (1968), the first Dutch football team to win the Europe Cup and the World Cup as well (Feyenoord, 1970), and they just can go on like that for quite a while...

On top of that, Rotterdam is a true eldorado for the modern architecture devotees, coming to the city from all over the world to admire the creations of renowned Dutch architects like Blom, Van Berkel, Quist, Koolhaas, Klundert and Weeber, as well as international stars like Kahn, Foster and Piano. It's no coincidence that the Netherlands Architecture Institute (NAI) is established precisely in this city.

Rotterdam en Amsterdam, their rivalry will remain forever. They are places that, in fact, cannot be compared at all. Anyway, I won't give it a try and I confine myself to that very little piece of the city that has brought me here: the Noordereiland. 

'Motor vessel Noordereiland'

Since it came into existence in 1876, the Noordereiland has not changed very much. It was not struck by the bombing of May 1940 and later urban developments hardly have impacted the island. The 19th-century layout largely remained intact and has been given the status of protected area, which means that dramatic changes are very unlikely. Nowadays the Noordereiland is a quiet, somewhat isolated district, breathing a prewar and a bit rustic atmosphere. The skyline of the city center on the right bank and that of the 'Kop van Zuid' ('Head of South') on the opposite bank are quite near, but yet they seem to belong to a different world.

Joe Cillen

For that reason it is probably not surprising that the Belgian artist and former sailor Joe Cillen, after he settled here at the end of the eighties of last century, developed the idea that the Noordereiland in fact is a ship. The island's shape resembles that of a ship and when you are walking along the water at the Maaskade (Maas Wharf) or the Prins Hendrikkade (Prince Henry Wharf) you can easily get a feeling of being detached. Indeed, as if you were standing at the railing of a ship that is only paying a few-days' visit to this port and soon will leave again to distant places.

As Cillen found more supporters for his vision among artists, philosophers and 'ordinary' island residents, his idea bloomed into the permanent public space-art project 'Mv. Noordereiland'. The project got a major impulse in 2001 when Rotterdam, together with the Portuguese city of Porto, acted as the 'Cultural Capital of Europe'. The island is going to look more and more like a real ship and one day 'Mv. Noordereiland' is supposed to break away from the bridges that presently keep it chained to the river banks, like a ship casting off, and set out on a journey to distant, exotic places.

In preparation for that day red and green sidelights have already been installed at both sides of the island. The afterdeck has got a stern light while the forecastle has been provided with a hawsehole for an anchor. Near the former railway viaduct cherry trees have been planted to provide those on board with fresh fruit during the long journeys, thus preventing scurvy to occur. For its energy supply 'Mv. Noordereiland' is relying on 'orgone', which is generated locally in an 'orgone box'. 'Orgone' also forms the basis for the ship's on-board currency, designed by some local graphic artists. The regularly appearing 'Scheepsjournaal' ('Ship's Log'), edited by captain Cillen himself, keeps everyone on board informed about all current issues.

If it comes to an actual departure of 'Mv. Noordereiland' its destination is already settled: via the Sargasso Sea - which seems to be abundant with 'orgone' - to somewhere between the islands of Kiritimati (on the port side) and Ascencion (on the starboard side). The fact that since 1996 the Erasmus Bridge is obstructing the Nieuwe Maas to the west will not be a major problem for putting out to sea; 'Mv. Noordereiland' will submerge and pass under the bridge like a huge submarine or, even more likely, lift off on its surplus of 'orgone' energy, soaring above the surface of the earth and set off, like an enormous airship, unhindered by any obstacle. 

Everyone interested to take a look at the Noordereiland should hurry, as you must not be surprised if some day it's suddenly gone. I have decided to wait no longer with paying a visit and have set forth to Rotterdam.

A walk on deck of 'Mv. Noordereiland'

On this beautiful September day I have come to Rotterdam the way that was most common at the time that the Noordereiland was born, the end of the nineteenth century: by train. That gives me the opportunity, while walking from the Central Railway Station to the river, to get impressed by by all contemporary architecture in the heart of the city that I visit only occasionally.

The most obvious way to get to the Noordereiland from the city centre is via the Willemsbrug (William's Bridge). Today, however, I prefer to make a detour via the Erasmus Bridge, which will let me approach the island from the south. First because I never before had the opportunity of taking a closer look at the Erasmus Bridge, the famous creation of the Dutch architect Ben van Berkel which, because of its gracefully bended, snowy white pylon, has been nicknamed 'The Swan'. And secondly because the Erasmus Bridge spans the Nieuwe Maas just west of the Noordereiland, which will offer me a nice view of my final destination for today.

< click on an image to enlarge 

With the Erasmus Bridge it is like with certain women, who are not getting prettier as you are coming nearer. Definitely it is one of the nicest bridges in the country, probably even the most beautiful, but when you are actually walking on it the major impression is that of a busy thoroughfare connecting the banks of the river. The beauty and elegance of the bridge show up best when viewed from a distance. 

How proud Rotterdam was of its new bridge when it was opened in 1996. It was intended to be the city's showpiece for the 21st century, like 'De Hef' had been for the 20th century. But shortly after the opening the bridge had to be closed again, as vibrations occurred in the suspension cables at wind force 6, causing the whole bridge to oscillate with a real danger that it would collapse. How the Amsterdam people must have gloated over those of Rotterdam with their flashy 'shaking bridge'!

Before turning left to the Noordereiland I admire the impressing Queen's Bridge that spans the Koningshaven, always overshadowed by 'De Hef'. The present bridge replaced an earlier swivel bridge in 1929, which at that time had already become a real bottleneck for the traffic. The design of the bridge, made by the architect A. van Rood, came out as the winner of an international design contest. It's a double bascule bridge with raised girders, which are rendering the bridge a sturdy yet elegant appearance. Also remarkable are the four bridgeman's shelters, two on each side, whose green copper steeples remind of pointed caps.

Once on the bridge, with a splendid view of the Erasmus Bridge at my left hand side, a kind of feeling creeps up on me of being about to board a ship. Even despite the fact that this 'gangplank' is still part of one of the major traffic routes between the north and the south bank, even the only cross-river connection for decades. Not without problems for that matter, as the bridge had to be opened very frequently to allow the ships through that were too big to pass under the William's Bridges. The long waiting times for the Queen's Bridge lead to its popular nickname 'Bridge of Sighs', after the famous bridge in Venice.

When I am 'on board' I walk along the Van der Tak Street in just a couple of minutes to the Maaskade on the north side of the island, or maybe it is more appropriate to talk about the starboard side here. Once this street was the major thoroughfare on the island, part of the first north-south route in the city, connecting the William's Bridge and the Queen's Bridge. There even was a tram service running through the street. 

But that is history, and the old William's Bridge is gone. The new William's Bridge had to be built while the old one was still there, so it could not be done in the same place. It came a bit further to the east, forcing traffic now to make an odd lurch on the northern Maas bank as well as on the Noordereiland itself, to get back on the original main route. The tram is taking the Erasmus Bridge nowadays, leaving the Noordereiland on its left. As a result, the Van der Tak Street has become a lot more quiet now.

From the Bridge Road I walk back to 'De Hef', where I climb upon the old railway embankment. The tracks have been removed since long, but the monumental steel lifting bridge keeps the remembrance alive of the days when a train journey to Rotterdam from the south still was a real treat. From Feijenoord all the way to the Central Station the train was running along an elevated line high above the city consisting of a series of bridges and crossovers, continuously offering splendid views of the city, the river and the docks.

But as traffic, on the water as well as by rail, grew more intensive with the years, 'De Hef' was become more and more a hindrance. In 1993 the William's Tunnel, passing under the Nieuwe Maas and part of the city, was opened, which gave the death-blow to Rotterdam's 'elevated railway'. A real blessing for shipping as well as for railway traffic, but for the traveler who now rides through a miles-long dark tunnel the fun is gone. On the other hand, the tunnel makes the Noordereiland the only Dutch island that can be completely 'underpassed'. 

The former railway embankment is now the 'Promenade Plantée', an elongated promenade park that was designed by Anne Mieke Backer. In spring thousands of colored tulips reveal the trajectory of the former railway line. Now, in autumn, nothing of that is visible and the park just seems to be a popular place for walking dogs. But, with 'De Hef' in the background, the place does have a special atmosphere.

From the railway embankment I walk to the Burgemeester Hoffmanplein, the central square of the island. Here the Wilhelmina Fountain is located, which was erected in 1898 by the 'Feijenoord Society' on the occasion of the inauguration of Queen Wilhelmina that year. It was designed by Henri Evers and the sculpturing was done by Simon Miedema who also made the sculptures at the façade of the 'White House' just across the river, the very first 'sky scraper' of Europe.

At the façade of the corner house in the square I see the work of art 'A rose is a rose' by Ben Admiraal. It is meant to honor the artist who died in 1995 and it consists of a tableau of several hundreds of roses that were made of black clay by himself for an earlier work. The words "A rose is a rose", after the well-known verse by Gertrude Stein, has been added in neon light. The whole is fitted in an ornamental frame of the kind that was formerly used to paint advertisements in.

I notice a group of traditionally dressed allochtonous women talking in the square. It reminds me of the fact that here, like elsewhere in the city, more than one-third of the residents is of non-Dutch origin nowadays. On 'Mv. Noordereiland' these people are actively participating in board life. Like the Turkish women's group 'Derme', who sew the flags that are put out all over the place on festive occasions and that are being designed by the residents themselves. 

The small streets running from the central square to the Maaskade on the starboard and the Prins Hendrikkade on the port side have a lot of interesting objects to offer, like the  'Light Mast' of 'Mv. Noordereiland', designed by Johan Fikkes, in small square in the Leliestraat (Lily Street).

In the next two streets, the Anjerstraat (Carnation Street) and Laurierstraat (Laurel Street) we see two nice wall paintings made by Helena and Axel van der Kraan respectively. The first one shows the old railway bridge crossing the Nieuwe Maas in its full glory; on the second one the bridge is already gone and we only see its piers remaning in the Maas river. The city's skyline at the other side of the river shows clearly recognizable buildings like the 'Witte Huis' ('White House') and the apartment building with the obvious nickname 'Het Potlood' ('The Pencil').

The last house in the Anjerstraat features a wall painting made by Harry Sengers. It is intended to honor Herman van Olst, the architect who was responsible for the extensive renovation of the Noordereiland but died before the project was completed. It is a still life in which the memorial plaque that already was present at the façade has been incorporated.

After my rambles in the interior of the island, not having mentioned all works of art that I have come across, I am now back on the Maaskade, the starboard gangway of 'Mv. Noordereiland'. To make the place perfect there should have been a real railing along the waterside here, to lean over, muse, spit into the water and watch all the bustle ashore. There seem to be plans to realize it in the future. 

I walk along the umbrageous Maaskade forward to the bow and pass the NE Galley at number 140B, where captain Joe Cillen lives (btw he does not see himself as captain at all, but more as an ordinary sailor). Here is also the 'Orgone Energy Accumulator', an invention of Wilhelm Reich that provides 'Mv. Noordereiland' with the necessary cosmic energy and energy of life.

Then I am at the Prinsenhoofd (Prince's Head), the 'foredeck' of 'Mv. Noordereiland'. From here you have a magnificent view of the river and the Erasmus Bridge. In the square that was renovated in 2000 lies the oval 'Kluisgat' ('Hawsehole') by Herman Lamers. It is a mosaic in white and light blue representing the foaming backwash. The anchor that belongs to it was represented by two dancers who, at the official opening on July 7 of 2000, danced a tango on top of the object.

 

From the Prinsenhoofd I walk along the Prins Hendrikkade all the way back to the Antwerpse Hoofd (Antwerp Head), the 'afterdeck' of 'Mv. Noordereiland'. Along the wharf barges are moored in double rows. Most of them have a car on board, which makes it easier for me to reconcile myself with all those cars that I have seen on board of 'Mv. Noordereiland'.

The view from the afterdeck of 'Mv. Noordereiland' is less spectacular than that from the foredeck, also because the river makes a sharp bend to the south here and disappears from sight. I am not lingering here any longer, walk back to the William's Bridge to complete my walk around the island and climb the stairs to the roadway. When I start crossing the river the illusion of a gigantic gangplank along which I am leaving the ship comes back to me.

Once back 'ashore' I look back once more at the island where I have spent some very special hours. What has struck me most is the way how a mixed group of artists, together with the 'ordinary' residents of which about one third immigrants, have created a city district here with a really unique atmosphere. I take a good look of it, as it might be the last time that I see it. For there is a change that, the next time I visit Rotterdam, it will be gone! 

More about Noordereiland and related information

www.rotterdam.nl
Official website of the Municipality of Rotterdam. Dutch and English language.

www.feijenoord.rotterdam.nl
Official website of the Borough of Feijenoord to which the Noordereiland belongs. Dutch language only.

www.motorschipnoordereiland.org
Official website of the 'Mv. Noordereiland'. Including three videos by VPRO-TV en TV Rijnmond. Dutch language only.

bvn.xs4all.nl
Website of the Bewoners Vereniging Noordereiland (Association of Noordereiland Residents). Dutch language only.

www.buurt-online.nl/rotterdam/noordereiland
Portal for the Noordereiland on the website of Stichting Buurt Online (Your Neighborhood Online Foundation). Dutch language only.

www.openbarekunst.nl
Website of the Centrum voor Beeldende Kunst (Centre for Visual Arts) about public space art in Rotterdam, with an 'artistic walk' around the Noordereiland. Dutch language only.

www.kei-centrum.nl/CultuurprojectenRotterdam
Culture projects in Rotterdam, with a dedicated section on the 'Mv. Noordereiland' project. Dutch and English language.

September 2004