Stone of a Million Tears

In 1990, Rotterdam unveiled the national monument "Stone of a Million Tears," a granite sculpture by resistance fighter and artist Truus Menger-Oversteegen. Water runs down the stone like tears, representing the city’s sorrow during the German occupation. Over time, flowers and moss have grown around the base. Menger-Oversteegen was known for her daring resistance work, including posing as a German nurse to save lives. After the war, she received international honors—Israel named her Righteous Among the Nations in 1967, and she was knighted in the Order of Orange-Nassau in 1998. The monument remains a powerful tribute to both grief and resilience.