Hilde Sennema presenteert Met opgestroopte mouwen - Een geschiedenis van Rotterdam

With rolled up sleeves - A history of Rotterdam

Hilde Sennema

The sleek facades of the Lijnbaan, the world success of the port, a mentality of not talking but doing: Rotterdam prefers to show itself from its most feasible and decisive side. Even during the war, the city made plans for reconstruction; after the war, the port quickly grew to become the largest in the world. However, this story leaves little room for sorrow about the destroyed city and deported fellow citizens, for the downsides of the port and industry, or for the influence of chance on the course of history. In Met opsrollente Mouwen (With Rolled-Up Sleeves), Hilde Sennema searches for the roots of the mythical Rotterdam mentality. Using the stories of well-known and lesser-known Rotterdammers, she interweaves the abrupt growth of Rotterdam from a provincial city to a world port with changes in its historical self-image. Met opsrollente Mouwen (With Rolled-Up Sleeves) is for everyone who wants to get to know Rotterdam better and wants to look beyond the facade of steel and reinforced concrete.

Hilde Sennema (1985) is a writer and historian. At Erasmus University she conducts research into the involvement of harbour barons in the reconstruction of Rotterdam. Her publications have appeared in the FD and on Rotterdam's journalistic platform Vers Beton. She has lived in Rotterdam since 2009.