The Destroyed City, War memorial at Plein 1940, Rotterdam, Netherlands
Description
The Destroyed City is a war memorial on Plein 1940 in Rotterdam, made from bronze and brass. The six-meter figure shows a human body with an absent chest, its arms reaching toward the sky in an expression of despair.
History
The monument recalls the German air raid on May 14, 1940, which obliterated the medieval center and claimed 900 lives. The sculpture was unveiled in 1953, more than a decade after the attack that forever changed the city.
Culture
Sculptor Ossip Zadkine designed the monument after traveling through Rotterdam and witnessing the destruction firsthand. The open chest of the figure symbolizes the city's lost heart, while the raised arms express the pain felt by residents after the bombing.
Practical
The memorial stands on a granite base near the Maritime Museum, accessible by public transport from Rotterdam Central Station. The open square allows visitors to walk around the sculpture and view its form from different angles.
Did you know?
The granite blocks beneath the statue were originally intended for a sculpture of Adolf Hitler in Berlin but were repurposed for this memorial. Zadkine worked on the design for more than three years before arriving at its final form.
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