Rich history
The library of the Maritime Museum has the oldest and most comprehensive maritime collection in the Netherlands. The library was established in 1857. At that time, it was still a small collection of books in the models room of the Royal Dutch Yacht Club. By now, the library has grown into a comprehensive scientific and valuable collection. In addition to international literature on shipping, shipbuilding, port and offshore, the museum library manages a number of extensive book and magazine collections, including the collection of old prints by Rotterdam collector Dr. W.A. Engelbrecht.
Questions?
The library is the place to find out more about maritime topics. It is the meeting place for research and for browsing through history, but also to find out what is currently happening in the maritime field. For example, for research on ships, you can use the extensive collection of registers containing construction data about sea and inland vessels.
View our collection online
The collection and library of the Maritime Museum Rotterdam can be consulted digitally via www.maritiemdigitaal.nl (in Dutch). This website is a collaboration between Dutch and foreign maritime museums and institutions. You can access the joint maritime collection through one digital portal. The handwritten registers of the Scheepsmetingsdienst are also available digitally at http://scheepsmetingsregister.maritiemmuseum.nl (in Dutch). These registers have been digitized by the Maritime Museum Rotterdam in collaboration with a large group of volunteers and the Landelijke Vereniging tot Behoud van het Historisch Bedrijfsvaartuig.
Opening hours library
Friday 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
Access to the library is free of charge.
For research, the library can be visited on other days by appointment.
Get in contact
Consult old prints by appointment
The museum library has a large collection of old prints. For scientific research, these can be viewed by appointment . To make an appointment, send an e-mail with your details, the research question and possibly the associated institution, to the attention of the curator of the library: library@maritiemmuseum.nl. You should also bring proof of identity with you during the visit.
Make an appointment
Ship measurement register
The ship measurement register is digitally available through our site. Here, you can look up the data of ship measurements based on the beam number and the brand number. The register runs from 1899 to 1989.
Visit the (Dutch) register online
