The Admiralty of Rotterdam

In 1575, during the Eighty Years’ War, the Admiralty of the Maeze was established in Rotterdam. This institution was responsible for outfitting warships, protecting trade, and securing sea and river routes. It also managed maritime tax collection and legal matters concerning prize and loot.

Initially, the admiralty was housed in the Prinsenhof, a former monastery on the Botersloot. In 1644, it moved to the northwest corner of the Haringvliet, where the imposing Admiraliteitshof was built. This classical building had a square floor plan with a central courtyard and featured a pediment with two crossed anchors and the Latin motto ‘Pugno Pro Patria’: ‘I fight for the fatherland’. The Admiraliteitshof was demolished in 1884, but a gate bearing the coat of arms remains and is now part of a façade at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.

The Admiralty of the Maeze also operated a shipyard, the 's-Landswerf, at the northeast corner of the Nieuwe Haven. It was rebuilt in 1660 and expanded in 1662 with a second arsenal. In the second half of the 17th century, the Nieuwe Haven was extended to the Buizengat, leading to the relocation of the shipyard to its southern bank.

The Admiralty of the Maeze was dissolved in 1795. Yet, the Admiraliteitskade and the gate at the Rijksmuseum still remind us of this important maritime institution.