Rotten og byen – rottebekæmpelse, velfærd og hverdag i 1900-tallets København

Few animals are as notorious as the rat. Yet it was not until the second half of the 19th century that the rat was firmly identified as a threat to public health and an enemy of society. This was prompted by new scientific insights and the emergence of modern cities.

Throughout the 20th century, rat control became more systematic and efficient as the welfare state developed. But the rat was not so easily eradicated. The city’s dense buildings, infrastructure and quantities of readily accessible rubbish created ideal living conditions for an animal that is virtually omnivorous, an accomplished climber and swimmer, and equipped with teeth so sharp that it can gnaw through anything softer than glass and metal.

In this talk, Mikkel Høghøj, curator at Danmarks Tekniske Museum, tells the story of how the rat helped shape modern Copenhagen, how rat control emerged as a welfare policy, how Copenhagen has served as a rat habitat, and how the rat has influenced Copenhageners’ expectations of health, hygiene and the role of nature in the city.

Illustration: Posters from Landsudvalget for Rottebekæmpelse, 1950 and 1968, Rigsarkivet.