chronicle /ˈkɹɒnɪkəl/ noun
A written account of events and when they happened, ordered by time.
Before Rotterdam established its municipal waste service in 1876, the collection of waste was done by ‘karrelieden’. This job was usually done by the poor or by ex-convicts. It provided not nearly enough to pay the bills, but the upside of the job was that they could sift through the rubbish to take the things that they could still use or sell.
New year's greetings from the lanternlighters in the 1800s:
Door ons, die als de nacht, ontbloot van glans en luister, Het Halverond omkleed met naar en aaklig duister Het nutt' Lantaarenlicht doen branden 't zyner tijd, Door ons word wéér aan U een' Zegenzang gewyd.
During the (high) Middle Ages people worked very had and had little time for recreation. A workday lasted from sunrise till sundown. For some jobs, your shift could easily last much longer than that, 40-hour shift were not uncommon when working in the harbour. Only on sundays and holidays you had the day to yourself.
Do you have a token from the tour but can't quite remember what it represents?
During the tour I told the story of the spies who were active in Rotterdam during World War I and handed out small pieces of charred parchment. At first glance, they appeared to be empty. But were they?
In the 18th century, Rotterdam’s watchguards patrolled the streets carrying a rattle. The rattle consisted of a wooden frame with a hammer inside. When they made a small movement with their hand, the hammer struck the wood and produced a strong sound. They used this sound to indicate the hour and to let residents know they were nearby and patrolling the area.