Rotterdam hotel that survived German bombardment can be mostly torn down, court rules

A plan to largely demolish the Grand Hotel Central in Rotterdam can move forward, the Council of State ruled on Wednesday. The building is one of two in the city center that survived the German bombardment in May 1940 during World War II.

The plan is to replace a large part of the building on the Kruiskade with a new construction. Only the front facade will remain.

The highest administrative court in the Netherlands upheld earlier rulings, and rejected objections from an action group opposed to the proposal. The organization, Stichting 100 jaar Grand Hotel Central Rotterdam, had challenged the environmental permit for the plans.

They argued that the cultural and historical values of the building will be lost. The Council of State denied their claim, and said that the permit was correctly issued by the political coalition including the mayor and aldermen leading Rotterdam.

Germany invaded the Netherlands on May 10, 1940, with about 450 people killed over a three-day period. The Rotterdam Blitz took place on May 14, virtually destroying the entire city center.

At least 700 people were killed that day, and more than 450 others were killed in the days prior. The homes of roughly 85,000 people were wiped out in a single day.

Germany threatened to do the same to Utrecht, but the Netherlands quickly surrendered. The Netherlands was occupied by Germany until the country was fully liberated on May 5, 1945.