Maritime Museum Gets Mannheim Convention

Netherlands' minister Cora van Nieuwenhuizen (Infrastructure and Water Management) accepted the unique document 'Mannheim Convention', which has ensured free trade on the Rhine for over a century and a half, on behalf of Maritime Museum Rotterdam.

To mark the 150th anniversary of the convention, the document has been making a historic journey over the Rhine. It has already been exhibited in Mannheim, Bonn and Duisburg, and will now be on display in the Maritime Museum for several months.

"This Convention ensures that almost 60% of transport between Rotterdam and Germany takes place via water and that there are almost 5 million fewer trucks on the roads. [...] As Minister, it’s an honour to be handed such a historic document in Leuvehaven, and to be able to place it in a beautiful cabinet for display to the public," said Minister Cora van Nieuwenhuizen.

The Rhine is the biggest river in Europe and connects Rotterdam with the German hinterland. Yet, for many centuries trading was difficult: maintenance was poor and tolls were high. This situation finally came to an end on 17 October 1868 as a result of the Mannheim Convention.

The Convention was signed by six countries along the Rhine: France, the Netherlands and four former German states.

The Mannheim Convention regulates traffic on the Rhine and ensures a free and common transport market. The Convention has been in force for over 150 years. It is an important symbol of European cooperation and one of the oldest international Conventions still in force.