Piet Heyn Monument, Rotterdam

The Piet Heyn Monument, erected in 1870, stands as a tribute to the navigator Piet Hein within the Delfshaven district.

Born in 1577 in Delfshaven, Piet Heyn rose to prominence, leading the West India Company and becoming a lieutenant admiral for Holland and West Friesland. In 1867, stonemason Hoogh's group crafted a winter snow statue of Heyn, based on a drawing by Arnold Houbraken. In January 1868, an impressive snow sculpture amazed locals. Mayor Rösener Manz led efforts for an official statue. With Prince Hendrik as honorary president, funds were raised by his committee. In 1869, sculptor Joseph Graven from 's-Hertogenbosch was chosen to create the statue, using Udelfangen sandstone due to budget limits.

The statue, standing three meters tall, portrays Piet Hein in full-length attire, donning a surcoat and boots. The sculpture captures the moment when he issues the command to engage the Dunkirk hijackers. In his right hand, Hein holds the commander's staff, while his left-hand rests on the sword's hilt. Adjacent to him lie a cannon and anchor at his feet, all set against the backdrop of his face based on Houbraken's portrait.

Master stonemason Hoogte undertook the construction of the pedestal. Carved from Escauzijn stone, a natural material sourced from the Écaussinnes quarry, the nearly three-meter-high pedestal provides a solid foundation.

On October 17, 1870, the monument was unveiled in the presence of notable dignitaries, including King William III, Prince Henry, King Loudon's Commissioner, and Ministers Fock and Brocx. By 19th-century customs, an iron fence of human height initially surrounded the statue. The monument gained recognition as a national treasure when it was added to the Monuments Register in 1973.