Admiralty of Rotterdam The Admiralty of Rotterdam , also called the Admiralty of de Maze , was one of the five in the Dutch Republic . History . It was set up in 1574 during the Dutch Revolt , when ( after the Capture of Brielle ) William I of Orange ' s supporters decided to pool their naval resources at Rotterdam . After a number of reorganisations designed with fostering cooperation between the Admiralties , the structure of the five Admiralties was determined and defined via a 1597 decision of the States - General of the Netherlands . The Admiralty had branches for equipping warships , protecting overseas trade and traffic on the sea and rivers , collecting taxes , and jurisdiction over loot and price setting . This situation remained in place until the admiralties were disestablished in 1795 . This , the oldest of the admiralties , was based in the Prinsenhof ( Rotterdam ) , the former Saint Agnathaklooster , at Botersloot . In the former monastery ' s brewery was built an " artilleriehuis " , and also within the complex an Admiralty prison was built . In 1644 the Prinsenhof was demolished for the construction of Nieuwemarkt , with the Admiralty moving to the north - west corner of Haringvliet . The " artilleriehuis " was , however , spared due to its non - central position , on the Prinsenhofterrein by the end of the Huibrug , but was demolished and rebuilt in 1759 , probably using stone from the demolished late 16th century frontage of the Admiralty building . One of these stones shows the Admiralty ' s arms , with the crossed anchors and an abbreviation of its motto " Pugno Pro Patria " ( " I fight for the fatherland " ) . The Admiralty ' s new 1644 building , the " Admiraliteitshof " ( with its name recalling that of the Prinsenhof ) , was an imposing classical building , with a facade showing the coat of arms , and a square plan centred on a courtyard . It was demolished in 1884 ( the remains of a gate with the coat of arms can be seen in the collection of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam . Since the end of the sixteenth century the Admiralty had also owned the ' s - Landswerf , an arsenal and warehouse at the northeastern corner of the Nieuwehaven , which was demolished and rebuilt on the same site in 1660 , then extended in 1662 with a second arsenal accessed by a very broad entrance opposite the east gate . In the second half of the seventeenth century the Nieuwehaven was extended to the Buizengat , leading the ' s - Landswerf to be moved to the Buizengat ' s south bank in or after 1689 . In 1701 , a part of the complex on Groenendaal was destroyed by fire . The rebuilding of the affected wing was commemorated with a foundation stone laid by Diderik Hogendorp . In the 18th century the second arsenal was closed and modernised by the architect Jan Giudici . G . D . Wijckerheld Bisdom laid its first stone on 8 May 1783 . Through all these expansions at a large rectangular building gradually arose . In 1823 , the second arsenal was re - organized for the corps of mariners . In 1846 , the corps disappeared and in 1868 returned . In 1849 the navy yard ( Marinewerf ) , as the complex was called after the Admiralties were dissolved in 1795 , closed . This last building was re - organized in 1855 as a Rijksentrepot . Near to the many sites relating to the Admiralty may be seen a " lijnbaan " ( touwslagersstraat , or rope - making factory ) with accompanying buildings at the Lagendijk just outside the Oostpoort . These were set up in 1697 and were 265 metres long and 10 metres wide , and in service until 1847 . Fleet - guardians ( vlootvoogden ) . Well - known fleet - guardians ( " vlootvoogden " ) of the Rotterdam Admiralty include : Battle of Texel . In the 1673 Battle of Texel , the last big battle of the Third Anglo - Dutch War , the Admiralty of Rotterdam provided the following ships and captains : Ships of the line : < br > " De Zeven Provinciën " 80 ( vlaggeschip der vloot , luitenant - admiraal - generaal Michiel de Ruyter , vlaggekapiteins Gerard Callenburgh en Pieter de Liefde ) < br > " Delft " 62 ( Philips van Almonde ) < br > " Ridderschap " 64 ( Eland du Bois ) < br > " Voorzichtigheid " 84 ( Jan van Brakel ) < br > " Gelderland " 63 ( waarnemend schout - bij - nacht Cornelis de Liefde , dodelijk gewond ) < br > " Vrijheid " 80 ( viceadmiraal Jan Evertszoon de Liefde , gesneuveld ) < br > " Eendracht " 72 ( luitenant - admiraal Aert Jansse van Nes ) < br > " Maagd van Dordrecht " 68 ( viceadmiraal Jan Jansse van Nes ) < br > " Dordrecht " 44 ( Frans van Nijdek ) < br > " Zeelandia " 42 ( Simon van Panhuis ) < br > " Schieland " 58 ( Adriaan Poort ) < br > " Wassenaer " 59 ( Barend Rees ) < br > Frigates : < br > " Schiedam " 20 ( Cornelis van der Hoevensoon ) < br > " Utrecht " 34 ( Jan Snellensoon ) < br > " Rotterdam " 30 ( Jacob Pieterszoon Swart ) < br > " Harderwijk " 24 ( MozesWichmansoon ) < br > Adviesjachten : < br > " Hoop " 6 ( Isaac Anteuniszoon van Anten ) < br > " Rotterdam " 6 ( Wijnand van Meurs ) < br > Branders : < br > " Sint Pieter " ( Gerrit Halfkaag ) < br > " Jisper Kerk " 4 ( Lens Harmenszoon ) < br > " Blackmoor " 4 ( Abraham van Koperen ) < br > " Maria " 4 ( Dirk de Munnik ) < br > " Eenhoorn " ( Willem de Rave ) < br > " Louise " 4 ( Jan Daniëlszoon van Rijn )