Predecessor Roteb: poop bins and delousing

The situation in Rotterdam in the second half of the 19th century was downright dirty, unhygienic, and unhealthy. There was no sewer system yet. Instead, feces were collected in buckets or bins. These were then emptied into canals, such as the Coolvest, a canal located where the Coolsingel is now.

Terrible stench

Waste was also thrown into the water. The bigger the city became, the more this became a problem. A terrible stench arose. And the water in the canals was also used as a source of drinking water. This led to the spread of various contagious diseases, such as cholera and typhus.

Dog burials

In 1876, the city pharmacist of Rotterdam, A.C. Kramer, was tasked by the city council to set up a city cleaning service. He was allowed to hire about 200 men, mostly ex-prisoners and people with physical disabilities. Their tasks included sweeping, collecting waste, emptying poop bins, disinfecting infected houses and items, and euthanizing and burying dogs.

First waste incineration plant

From 1899, the approach became more professional. The new director M.A. van der Perk hired stronger and more employees. They received uniforms and better wages. Van der Perk also introduced the trash bin with a lid. Waste offered in a bucket without a lid was not collected. In 1912, the first waste incineration plant in Europe was opened on Brielselaan. The construction of sewers around 1900 also helped make the city more pleasant. The smelly ditches were filled in.

Delousing emigrants

In the first quarter of the 20th century, this service had an important task: delousing and disinfecting people who wanted to emigrate to America. This was a requirement of the United States. If emigrants were ill, the US sent them back without mercy. The transport company had to pay for this, so it was important to check people before departure.

Headquarters bombed

The bombing on May 14, 1940, destroyed the headquarters of Rotterdams city cleaning service. This also destroyed the entire administration and extensive photo archive. In 1951, the new headquarters at Kleinpolderplein was opened. Later, the well-known letters ROTEB were added.

Cleaning, Roteb, City Management

In 1956, the city cleaning service officially received the name Roteb: Cleaning, Disinfection Transport, and Fire Service. From 1972, the B stood for Company Workshops. Since 2013, the service has been part of City Management, and the name Roteb is no longer officially used.