The foundation

The foundation ‘Stichting Vesting Hoek van Holland’, founded in 1996, created the first Atlantikwall museum in the Netherlands. Since then the foundation has aimed to preserve all remaining defensive constructions within the limits of the former ‘Festung Hoek van Holland’

The foundation will labour to give each object a fitting purpose. The foundation aims to increase public awareness of the history of the Atlantikwall by organising a variety of educational activities. This is also in an attempt to increase support for the preservation of the Atlantikwall and other defensive structures.

The foundation is managed entirely by volunteers and is a registered ANBI.

Objectives

Culture
  • The preservation and restoration of all remaining defensive structures within the limits of the former ‘Festung Hoek van Holland’ (Fortress Hook of Holland) and the region (and municipality) known as ‘Westland’ and giving each object a fitting purpose.
  • The collection of data and the description of objects related to the military presence in Hoek van Holland and the surrounding area, in the period stretching from 1940 to 1945.
  • Showing the relations between individual objects by demonstrating that smaller objects are an essential part of the larger whole. Just like the Amsterdam line of defence or Holland water line of defence for example. Especially that interrelation of defensive structures, dikes and (anti-tank) ditches shapes a part of the landscape with a cultural, historical, educational and economic value.

Tourism
  • Running the Atlantikwall-Museum at the pier, which attracts thousands of visitors annually.
  • Offering guided tours and trips in the former Festung Hoek van Holland.

Centre for knowledge and research
  • Serving as a centre for knowledge and research of the city of Rotterdam and the municipal subcommittee Hoek van Holland, the municipality of Westland, the Monumentencommissie (monuments committee) and other stakeholders.

Education
  • Fostering and spreading knowledge with the youth, parents and other interested people, about both the local and large scale events of the Second World War.
  1. As museum with original artefacts from different time periods.
  2. As war museum with original artefacts from the period stretching from 1940 to 1945, with local history as the starting point, augmented by objects from other locations, including outside of the Netherlands, exclusively in relation to the Second World War.