The Willemskade was constructed in 1847 and was originally called Westerkade. Following William III's visit in 1851, the name was changed to Willemskade. The Westerkade also still exists, and is located west of the Willemskade. In 1851, a classicist building on the west side of the Willemskade was occupied by the Vereeniging der Koninklijke Yachtclub, chaired by Prince Hendrik. In 1885, the Yacht Club's building was taken over by the Municipality, which decided to establish an ethnographic museum there, as had been done before in Leiden and Haarlem. On 1 May 1885, the Museum of Land and Ethnography was opened. The institute was renamed Wereldmuseum Rotterdam at the end of the 20th century. In the late 19th century, mainly residential houses were built. The residential houses on Willemskade 19, 20 and 21 and the current World Museum are national monuments. The eastern part of Willemskade was bombed away in 1940 and rebuilt immediately after 1945 with offices and sailors' house Stella Maris, later called Maritime hotel and then Thon Hotel Rotterdam. Willemskade 18 was home to the consulate of Portugal for decades.
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