Rotterdam has spent much of its modern history reinventing itself. Rebuilt after the devastation of the Second World War, the city became a testing ground for new ideas in architecture, planning and urban development. The spirit of reconstruction remains deeply embedded in Rotterdam’s identity, shaping a city where innovation and adaptation are part of everyday life.
This legacy has also shaped Rotterdam’s relationship with its own past. With much of its historic urban fabric destroyed in 1940, the city cannot draw on an extensive stock of pre-war monuments to sustain a sense of continuity with history. Instead, its connection to heritage has become an inherently intangible one, carried through personal stories, memory and community narratives as much as through buildings themselves. This human-centred approach appears to have infused the way Rotterdam engages with culture and heritage more broadly. Combined with its identity as a port city with a long history of migration and cultural diversity, it creates a distinctive context, one that sets Rotterdam apart from cities that can rely on an imposing stock of built heritage as a source of attractiveness and local pride.
That same spirit is now influencing another aspect of city life: religious heritage. Across Rotterdam, churches, mosques and other places of worship are finding new roles as cultural venues, social hubs and spaces for community life. The city is fostering new partnerships between faith communities, cultural organisations, social actors and residents, creating opportunities for historic buildings to continue serving the communities around them.
At the heart of this approach is Holy Houses (Heilige Huisjes, in Dutch), a city-wide network and festival that celebrates Rotterdam’s diverse religious heritage while exploring its future potential. Holy Houses offers an example of how cities can connect heritage, culture and community-building in ways that respond to contemporary urban challenges.
Integrating heritage into the life of the city
Rotterdam’s approach to religious heritage is rooted in a broader vision for urban development. As Iris Pennock from the city’s Monuments and Heritage department explains, “Rotterdam integrates heritage considerations into planning and development processes from an early stage.” The municipality works across three programme lines: protection and conservation, knowledge development, and communication and engagement.
Rotterdam integrates heritage considerations into planning and development processes from an early stage
The knowledge development strand includes research and surveys that help the city understand the historical, architectural and social dimensions of its heritage. Religious buildings are a particular area of focus, with dedicated work aimed at documenting their stories, understanding their changing roles and identifying ways to support their future.
Alongside this, public programmes encourage residents to engage with local heritage and explore the diverse histories that have shaped Rotterdam. This combination of conservation, knowledge-sharing and community engagement reflects an understanding that heritage gains meaning through people as much as through buildings. Rotterdam’s historic buildings (both pre-war and post-war) remain relevant when they continue to play a role in the daily life of the city.
Holy Houses: creating new possibilities for religious heritage
The Holy Houses initiative emerged from this context. Five years ago, the City of Rotterdam joined forces with De Kerkvernieuwers, a Dutch organisation dedicated to the future of religious heritage.
According to Holy Houses founder Sander Ummelen, “the project grew from a simple observation: Rotterdam had a shortage of cultural and creative spaces, while many religious buildings possessed untapped potential.”
Many places of worship faced familiar challenges. Congregations were changing, maintenance costs were increasing and several buildings had unused space. At the same time, Rotterdam’s cultural and creative sectors were looking for places to develop new activities and reach new audiences. Holy Houses brought these conversations together.
The initiative connects faith communities, cultural organisations, artists, residents and social actors through a city-wide programme that takes place in dozens of places of worship across Rotterdam. Concerts, exhibitions, workshops, performances, community meals and discussions invite people to experience these spaces in new ways.
The programme attracts thousands of visitors every year, but its value extends beyond attendance figures. Holy Houses creates opportunities for communities and building owners to experiment with new ideas, form partnerships and explore different futures for religious heritage.
These conversations can involve complex questions about ownership, preservation, community needs and future uses. In the Netherlands, municipalities rarely own religious buildings. Their role is often to facilitate dialogue, provide expertise and create conditions for collaboration. Holy Houses provides a framework where these discussions can take place through practical projects and shared experiences.
For many participants, the festival serves as a testing ground. Cultural activities allow communities to discover how buildings can support different forms of use while remaining connected to their histories and identities. Relationships that begin during the festival often continue afterwards, creating lasting networks among cultural practitioners, social organisations and faith communities.
The initiative also reflects Rotterdam’s diversity. Religious heritage in the city encompasses multiple faiths, cultural backgrounds and neighbourhood histories. Holy Houses embraces this plurality by creating encounters between communities that may not otherwise interact.
How can a museum be sustainable? Doing it in a church and not building a new complex is part of that
As Martijn van der Mark, Senior Policy Advisor for Creative Industries and Media at the City of Rotterdam, puts it: “The soul of the building is the soul of the community.” This perspective can also be seen in projects linked to the Holy Houses network, such as Holy Beans, which supports young people by helping them develop practical skills and pathways into employment. Heritage becomes a platform for social participation, learning and community development.
Steigerkerk: witness of the past, showcasing the future
One of the strengths of Rotterdam’s approach is its recognition that each building requires its own solution. The city is helping places of worship develop futures that reflect their specific histories, communities and opportunities.
Few projects illustrate this better than the transformation of the Steigerkerk. Located close to the place where Rotterdam originated, the church occupies an important place in the city’s history. It is also a building deeply connected to the post-war reconstruction period, linking it directly to one of Rotterdam’s defining narratives.
The church is currently being adapted to become the future home of Rotterdam Museum. The project brings together heritage, sustainability and civic participation within a single initiative.
For museum director Leontine Meijer van Mensch, the choice of location carries strong symbolic value.
“This church is where Rotterdam was born. It is a post-bombardment church and fits within the narrative of reconstruction.” The museum’s first exhibition in the building will focus on the rebuilding of Rotterdam, creating a direct dialogue between the structure itself and the stories it will tell.
The project also reflects an understanding of sustainability rooted in reuse and long-term stewardship. “How can a museum be sustainable? Doing it in a church and not building a new complex is part of that, ” states Leontine.
Significant investment is being made to adapt the building, while participatory processes invite residents and stakeholders to contribute to the museum’s future direction. The ambition is to create an intimate and welcoming institution connected to the city and its communities.
Sint-Laurenskerk: heritage through culture
The Grote Kerk, also known as Sint-Laurenskerk, demonstrates the role cultural programming can play in activating religious heritage. One of Rotterdam’s most recognisable historic landmarks, the church welcomes diverse audiences through concerts and major cultural events. Music and cultural activities bring new visitors into the building and create opportunities to engage with its history and architecture. This is made possible by an independent foundation, Stichting Grote of Sint Laurenskerk, which manages the building separately from its congregation with the explicit aim of running it as a social and cultural centre for the whole of Rotterdam society, alongside its role as a monument and place of worship.
The soul of the building is the soul of the community
This governance model allows the church to host an unusually broad range of activities (from debates, lectures and exhibitions to conferences and corporate events) well beyond what a purely religious use would allow. While this arrangement has proven an effective way of keeping the building sustainably and intensively in use, it also means navigating frequent, and at times challenging, conversations between the foundation, the congregation and the many other actors involved. The church remains a place of heritage, culture and encounter, showing how historic religious spaces can contribute to the city’s cultural life while maintaining their distinctive identity.
Pauluskerk: heritage through community
A different model can be found at the Pauluskerk. Known for its focus on social inclusion, the church provides support and hospitality to people facing difficult circumstances. Community-led activities and social programmes are central to its work, making the building an important meeting place for many residents.
The Pauluskerk demonstrates how religious heritage can contribute to social cohesion and community wellbeing. Its significance lies as much in its daily role within the neighbourhood as in its architectural or historical value.
Lessons for European cities
Rotterdam’s experience shows how religious heritage can remain an active part of city life when communities, cultural organisations and public authorities work together to shape its future. Through Holy Houses, the city has created opportunities for historic places of worship to support cultural participation, social inclusion and community-building, while remaining rooted in their history and identity.
This approach has earned Holy Houses a place in the European Heritage Hub’s Catalogue of Local Good Practices, which showcases inspiring examples of heritage-led social, green and digital innovations from across Europe. In June 2026, heritage professionals, policymakers and cultural practitioners visited Rotterdam as part of a peer-learning visit organised by the Hub, exploring how collaboration can help shape new futures for religious heritage.
The European Heritage Hub is an EU-funded Preparatory Action that brings together organisations and stakeholders working to strengthen the role of cultural heritage in Europe’s future. Through peer-learning activities, policy dialogue and the exchange of good practices, the Hub supports cities, regions and heritage actors in addressing shared challenges and developing innovative approaches to heritage-led development.
