Nancy Zeelenberg

This street is named after Nancy Zeelenberg, a woman who greatly influenced today’s Rotterdam. She was the city’s first female alderwoman and played a major role in its post-war rebuilding, port development, and growth as a cultural center.

Nancy was born in 1903 into a notary family. Her mother died when she was five, which made her independent. She studied law and first worked at a women-run law firm. After five years, she started her own practice focusing on social justice, child protection, and divorces.

In 1956, she became Rotterdam’s first female alderwoman for Finance. She was denied the port portfolio because women “could not climb a rope ladder.” Still, she led major projects like building the metro, developing the Botlek and Europoort, and managing arts affairs. She also helped expand Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen and build De Doelen.

Nancy was active nationally in the Provincial Council, House of Representatives, Senate, and Council of State. Often the only woman, she was known for her direct style.She died in 1986. Her name lives on in this street and a nursing home, but her true legacy is seen in today’s Rotterdam.