History of the Doelen
The history of concert hall de Doelen goes back to the seventeenth century, when an orchestra of city musicians gave public concerts in ‘De Doele’ on the Haagscheveer. As a replacement, the ‘Groote Doelezaal’ on the Coolsingel was opened in 1844.
In 1934, a new Doelenzaal was put into use, but it was destroyed in the bombing of Rotterdam in May 1940. It was not until 26 years later, in 1966, that the current Doelen was opened. The building is a municipal monument and is of great cultural-historical value as the ‘final piece of the reconstruction’, as it is seen in Rotterdam.
De Doelen has been an independent foundation since 1 January 2006. On that date, the new Stichting Concert- en Congresgebouw de Doelen took over the operation of the municipal service Concert- en Congresgebouw de Doelen. All activities of the old service have been transferred to the new foundation, including the staff.
Most visited stage setting
The very broad programming, from big crowd pullers to specialist concerts for the seasoned music connoisseur, from children’s concerts to concerts with music from various countries of origin, makes the Doelen a music house for everyone. The Doelen is therefore the most visited Rotterdam stage institution.
