This war memorial Woman with pigeon was unveiled on May 14, 1965, twenty-five years after the bombing, by then mayor W. Thomassen. It was founded in memory of all civilian victims who died in the bombing of Rotterdam in World War II. The 2.50 meter high bronze statue is located at Crooswijk Cemetery. The monument was created by the Rotterdam sculptor Cor van Kralingen. The kneeling woman protects a dove, the symbol for peace, with her arms bent. In the stone plinth is a bronze box with the coat of arms of Rotterdam and the motto 'Stronger through Struggle'. In the box is a register with the names of 677 victims of the bombing. There were many more victims, but their names have remained unknown. The text on the pedestal reads: 'Remember the civilian casualties of this city 1940-1945'.
Cor van Kralingen (Rotterdam, 1908 - Mijnsheerenland, 1977) was a sculptor and illustrator. Between 1935 and 1960 he made many pen drawings for the Varagids and publishing house Thieme. During the reconstruction period, Van Kralingen was able to design reliefs and facing bricks in Rotterdam. He designed it Twentsch Ros (1948) on the roof of the then Twentsche Bank on the Blaak and the eight animal figures of the Hofplein fountain (1955). He also made a number of war monuments, such as Falling man (1951) en Woman with pigeon (1965) at the war graves on Cemetery Crooswijk, and the Ttraveling woman (1958) on the Goereesestraat in Charlois. His style was characterized as invariably figurative. He liked simplicity and a classically oriented beauty.
A kneeling woman offers protection to a pigeon with a bent arm
Materials
Bronze
Dimensions
Height 2.50 m
Year
1965
Client
Municipality of Rotterdam
Money source
Municipality of Rotterdam
Owner
Municipality of Rotterdam
About the artwork
This war memorial Woman with pigeon was unveiled on May 14, 1965, twenty-five years after the bombing, by then mayor W. Thomassen. It was founded in memory of all civilian victims who died in the bombing of Rotterdam in World War II. The 2.50 meter high bronze statue is located at Crooswijk Cemetery. The monument was created by the Rotterdam sculptor Cor van Kralingen. The kneeling woman protects a dove, the symbol for peace, with her arms bent. In the stone plinth is a bronze box with the coat of arms of Rotterdam and the motto 'Stronger through Struggle'. In the box is a register with the names of 677 victims of the bombing. There were many more victims, but their names have remained unknown. The text on the pedestal reads: 'Remember the civilian casualties of this city 1940-1945'.
Cor van Kralingen (Rotterdam, 1908 - Mijnsheerenland, 1977) was a sculptor and illustrator. Between 1935 and 1960 he made many pen drawings for the Varagids and publishing house Thieme. During the reconstruction period, Van Kralingen was able to design reliefs and facing bricks in Rotterdam. He designed it Twentsch Ros (1948) on the roof of the then Twentsche Bank on the Blaak and the eight animal figures of the Hofplein fountain (1955). He also made a number of war monuments, such as Falling man (1951) en Woman with pigeon (1965) at the war graves on Cemetery Crooswijk, and the Ttraveling woman (1958) on the Goereesestraat in Charlois. His style was characterized as invariably figurative. He liked simplicity and a classically oriented beauty.
