Museum Rotterdam is preparing for a new chapter.

On 18 December 2026, the museum will open its first pop-up exhibition at Het Steiger, its future main location in the heart of the city. Titled Opnieuw beginnen (Starting Over), the exhibition explores how Rotterdam rebuilt itself after the devastating bombing of 1940, and what it means to start again.

The opening marks the first public step in the development of Het Steiger into the new home of Museum Rotterdam. Although the building is not yet fully completed, the museum is already welcoming visitors to experience this historic location and discover how its future is taking shape.

Starting over: Rotterdam’s story of rebuilding

On 14 May 1940, much of Rotterdam's city centre was destroyed by German bombing. The city faced an enormous challenge: how to rebuild, what to preserve and what to create anew. The exhibition Opnieuw beginnen explores the many ways Rotterdam reinvented itself in the years that followed. It looks beyond the reconstruction of buildings to consider the people, memories and choices that shaped the city.

What should be kept from the past? What deserves a new place? And what should be imagined entirely differently?

“Through Opnieuw beginnen, Museum Rotterdam shows how the city reinvented itself after the Second World War,” says museum director Léontine Meijer-van Mensch. She explains that Rotterdam's transformation was shaped not only by a sense of loss and memories of the city as it once was, but also by bold new plans, creative forms of reuse and changing ideas about what a city should be.

Art, heritage and stories from the city

The pop-up exhibition brings together objects from the museum's collection, new work by artists and contributions from communities across Rotterdam. The building itself also plays an important role in the exhibition. Het Steiger is a post-war reconstruction monument, making it an integral part of the story. The exhibition connects Rotterdam's experience of rebuilding with questions that remain relevant today, particularly in regions around the world affected by war and destruction. It is about more than architecture and urban planning. At its heart are the people who experience change, the memories they carry and the decisions they make when rebuilding their lives and communities.

Opnieuw beginnen will be open until spring 2027.

A museum in the making

The opening of the exhibition is also the beginning of a new chapter for Museum Rotterdam itself. The museum is choosing to open Het Steiger before the redevelopment is complete, allowing visitors to follow the transformation from the very start. “Starting over means pioneering,” says Meijer-van Mensch. “The building is currently a museum in progress. This way, visitors can experience the development of the new Museum Rotterdam from the very beginning.” Over the coming years, Het Steiger will be renovated and transformed in several phases into a fully developed city museum. The plans include a large exhibition hall for temporary exhibitions and public events, interactive installations for families and a historical timeline exploring the growth of Rotterdam. A new heritage cabinet will bring the museum together with heritage organisations from across the city. Visitors will also be able to explore Museum Rotterdam '40-'45 NU, dedicated to the city's wartime history and its continuing impact. The ambition is to create a museum where Rotterdam's past, present and future come together.

A place for the city and its people

Het Steiger is intended to become more than a traditional museum. The square surrounding the building will also serve as an open public space for activities organised with and for the city. During Opnieuw beginnen, Museum Rotterdam will host guided tours, lectures, educational programmes and other activities. Popular initiatives from the museum's previous location will also return, including its much-loved monthly dog-friendly visiting days. Through this programme, the museum aims to create opportunities for people to meet, exchange experiences and share their own stories about Rotterdam.

Discover the new Museum Rotterdam

With Opnieuw beginnen, Museum Rotterdam offers a first glimpse of what its future home will become. The exhibition reflects on a defining chapter in Rotterdam’s history while raising questions about how cities and communities can move forward after periods of profound change. The opening of Het Steiger is therefore more than the start of a new exhibition. It is the beginning of a new relationship between the museum and the city it tells the story of.

Practical information

• Exhibition: Opnieuw beginnen (Starting Over)
• Opening date: 18 December 2026
• Location: Het Steiger, Rotterdam
• On view until: Spring 2027
• Programme: Exhibitions, guided tours, lectures, educational activities and special public events

For more information about the exhibition and the development of the new museum, visit the Museum Rotterdam website.