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Our Committee promotes cooperation, mutual understanding, and friendship between the citizens of Baltimore in Maryland, U.S.A. and Rotterdam in The Netherlands.

Rotterdam

Twin Cities

Baltimore and Rotterdam are both modern cities, because of historical events.  Rotterdam's central city district was destroyed at the beginning of World War II.  Faced with the task of rebuilding the city, Rotterdam chose to embrace the future rather than to resurrect the past - becoming a showplace for modern architecture in Europe.  The city center of Baltimore was destroyed in 1904 by the Great Fire. So both cities were built from the ground up during the 20th century. 

Rotterdam and Baltimore have approximately the same geographical and population size. These two cities have in common a deep maritime history, large port operations in estuarine waters, and both are home to prestigious universities, medical schools, and world-class museums and other cultural institutions.  They also share many of the problems and opportunities common to many large, modern cities with diverse populations.

Baltimore's Inner Harbor

Rotterdam photo: © Rob Hollis
Baltimore photo: © George Hagegeorge
Reproduction prohibited without permission.

Highlights

Artist Exchange - Summer 2009

Rotterdam Harbor -

The Baltimore-Rotterdam Sister City Committee helped organize Baltimore artist Steve Bradley’s 2009 summer residency in Rotterdam. He is collecting stories from the residents of Heijplaat, a working-class neighborhood by the Rotterdasm harbor. The work is similar to a project he organized in Baltimore’s Station North neighborhood in 2008. Bra

Exhibition Announcement for  Foundation B.a.d.

Bradley has an exhibition opening June 26 at Rotterdam’s Foundation B.a.d.

Read about Steve’s adventures on his Rotterdam blog

About the Artist Exchange

Netherlands Ambassador speaks in Baltimore on June 23, 2009

Ambassador Victoria Maria Jones-Bos speaks at Baltimore’s World Trade Center as part of the Baltimore Council on Foreign Affairs (BCFA)
Distinguished Speakers Program Series.

BCFA website

International Festival
August 1-2, 2009

Stop by and visit us at the Sister City booth at Baltimore’s annual FREE international festival, held at Poly/Western High School at the corner of Falls Road and Cold Spring Lane.

Festival information

Sister City booth

Upcoming Events

See the Events Calendar