Met opgestroopte mouwen: Een geschiedenis van Rotterdam

The Captivating History of Rotterdam and Its Inhabitants
The sleek facades of the Lijnbaan, the global success of the port, a mentality of "no nonsense, just action": Rotterdam prefers to present itself from its most malleable and decisive angle. Even during the war, the city was making plans for reconstruction; after the war, the port quickly grew to become the largest in the world. However, this narrative leaves little room for grief over the destroyed city and deported fellow citizens, for the downsides of port and industry, or for the influence of chance on the course of history. In Met opgestroopte mouwen (Rolling Up Our Sleeves), Hilde Sennema searches for the roots of the mythical Rotterdam mentality. Through the stories of well-known and lesser-known Rotterdammers, she interweaves Rotterdam's shock-driven growth from provincial town to world port with changes in its historical self-image. Met opgestroopte mouwen is for everyone who wants to better understand the Rotterdam of then and now, and look beyond the façade of steel and reinforced concrete.