Norwegian Seamen's Church

The Norwegian Seamen's Church is a church in Rotterdam, located on the Westzeedijk next to the entrance of Het Park.
In the port city, there are various foreign seamen's churches, including those from all Scandinavian countries and England. They serve as a kind of reception centers for sailors, where they can fulfill their religious duties and also relax in a pleasant environment. The pastoral work organized by the Norwegian Church among Norwegian sailors in Rotterdam began in the 1880s. Initially, there was no own space, and they had to make use of homes of friendly institutions. However, in 1888, the Norwegian Seamen's Church obtained its own room at Leuvehaven, right in the harbor district. It was nothing more than a reading room, which was also open to sailors from other countries. The number of visitors quickly increased, largely thanks to Reverend N.C. Christie, who made his rounds along the docks and over the Schiedamsedijk every evening. He brought sailors off the streets and out of the pubs to his seamen's home. Later, the church and reading room moved to a larger building on the Boompjes, a property that had to be vacated again in 1910 because it became dilapidated.

Wikipedia