The last working grain elevator in the world is returning to the Maritime Museum Rotterdam. For a year, Stadsgraanzuiger 19 was restored at the Talsma shipyard in Franeker. On May 2, the multi-day return trip begins. The return trip from Friesland, crossing the IJsselmeer and Amsterdam, takes three days. It’s broadcasted live via this stream.
There was a lot of work at the Frisian shipyard. They replaced the doors and windows of the grain elevator. The underwater hull, the weighing room and the rubbing strips got reparations. The grain elevator got its original colours back. The largest part of the restoration is now complete and the icon will be back in splendid condition for the summer of 2023.
The elevator is a powerful example of innovation in the maritime sector. Before its introduction, hundred port workers transferred 6,000 tonnes of bulk cargo from one ship to another. It took them a week. The remarkable innovation is part of the outdoor collection of the Maritime Museum Rotterdam. The Museum Aan de Stroom in Antwerp is part-owner. The grain elevator is in Belgium for part of the year because of a heritage subsidy from Flanders.
This Grain elevator deserves a beer
To mark the return of the historic grain elevator, the Maritime Museum launches a special beer in cooperation with Kaapse Brouwers. This stubborn, blond Kaapse Graanzuiger with extra grain and Flemish hop is the new house beer. It’s available from 30 April in the museum café Het Lage Licht.
Cover: Arthur Smeets
