Similarly, the photo below, taken from the top of the Sint-Laurenskerk in 1927, provides a stunning view of what looks to be a predominantly residential area. Image via Stadsarchief Rotterdam / Topografie Rotterdam. The photo below, taken between the years 19, showed what the Haringvliet area looked like from the top of Het Witte Huis: How the city looked before World War IIīefore the war, Rotterdam had many of the elements you'd see across most Dutch cities, including windmills, gables, and canals. Nowadays, it’s practically the only Dutch city with an abundance of skyscrapers, unlike its more traditional and historic neighbours of Leiden, Delft and Utrecht. The decimation of the city meant residents were forced to rebuild after the war, and over the decades Rotterdam was transformed into a modern metropolis. Rotterdam is one of the few major Allied cities that were virtually destroyed in the Second World War.

Around 85.000 people were left homeless as a result of the attack. The attack, which has become known as the Rotterdam Blitz or the bombardement op Rotterdam, decimated the city and destroyed the historic centre of Rotterdam, and resulted in the death of 711 people. On May 14, 1940, the Netherlands’ second-biggest city was subjected to heavy bombing by the Luftwaffe during the Nazi invasion of the Netherlands. But why does Rotterdam look so different to other cities in the Netherlands? How the 1940 Rotterdam bombing transformed the city These days, while most Dutch cities share similar architecture - think wonky houses with recognisable gables and narrow canals - Rotterdam is known for its unique and modern architecture.

1940 new york skyscraper