67 years

Today is the 67th anniversery of the bombing of Rotterdam by the Germans. Rotterdam has a completely different feel to it than the rest of the Netherlands, especially Amsterdam. Rotterdam feels new and modern. Post-war renovation completely removed all traces of the destruction. Well, all except one, the absence of all buildings older than sixty years. Driving your car in the city is much easier and much less nerve-racking than driving in, say, Leiden – a much smaller city. When I was on my mission in Ohio I met an older Dutchman who emigrated to the United States after the war. He told me that Rotterdam was a beautiful city before the war and in a way quite similar to Amsterdam. He told me that he still remembered quite vividly the bombing after all of the years. That was 15 years ago when I last talked to him. This post is in loving memory, Deo Gratias.