Rats and the City - Rat Control, Welfare and Everyday Life in 20th-Century Copenhagen

Rats were first identified as a serious health threat and social menace in the latter half of the 19th century, driven by new scientific insights and the growth of modern cities. Throughout the 20th century, rat control became systematized and more efficient as the welfare state developed. Yet rats proved difficult to eradicate: dense housing, urban infrastructure, and abundant accessible waste created ideal living conditions for an animal that is almost omnivorous, an excellent climber and swimmer, and capable of gnawing through anything softer than glass and metal.

In this lecture, Mikkel Høghøj, curator at the Danish Museum of Technology, tells the story of how rats helped shape modern Copenhagen - how rat control became welfare policy, how Copenhagen functioned as a rat habitat, and how rats influenced Copenhageners' expectations of health, hygiene, and nature's role in the city.

Illustration: Posters from the National Committee for Rat Control, 1950 and 1968, Danish National Archives.