To travel and to photograph landscapes, streetviews and people: that was the big love of lawyer Hein Wertheimer (1913-1997). Still, not every amateur photographer leaves 10 million euros for the promotion of photography.

Wertheimer wanted his money to be spent on a photography museum on an attractive location. ‘In such a museum both amateur as professional photography should be shown’ as he had it put in his testament.

After the death of Mr. Wertheimer, Wertheimer Fund / Het Wertheimerfonds for the promotion of photography was established. The foundation sees to the wishes from the testament. The fund has been brought under supervision of the Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds (director: Adriana Esmeijer). The Wertheimer Foundation advized to spend the interest of the fortune on the Nederlands Fotomuseum Rotterdam. With this generous gift, the museum has been able to open its doors in Las Palmas LP2 in Rotterdam.

With the gift the museum finances several projects:
• Activities for amateur photographers
• archiving and digitalizing the photocollections
• purchase of photoprojects.
• a combined online library catalogue of a few Dutch photo-institutes
• scientific research by appointing two special professors photography (Fritz Gierstberg and Susan Meiselas) and a lector photography (Flip Bool).
• debates and publications