In 1620 the Pilgrim Fathers left (fleeed) from Delfshaven to America. After that, an ever-increasing group of emigrants and fortune seekers traveled to America via Rotterdam. The NASM was founded in 1873 (which had already established a hotel with the name Hotel New:York on approximately the same location of the later management building and current hotel, officially named Holland-America Line in 1896. Until the turn of the century of 1900, about a half a million people were transferred. On November 8, 1971, the last ship left the pier, after which the H.A.L. disappeared from Rotterdam and from New York. In the period 1901-1917, the management building was built on the Wilhelminapier by the architects Muller, Droogleever Fortuyn and Van der Tak.The massive block was somewhat illuminated with Art Nouveau ornaments and, a little later, the two modest but characteristic turrets.The building has the status of a national monument.










