The History of Sewerage in Szczecin in the 19th and 20th Centuries

Abstract

The utilization of sewage was a serious problem in medieval and early modern Szczecin in Western Pomerania. The basis of this system was latrines, cesspools and drainage channels. In the mid-19th century there were plans to build a sewage disposal system in Szczecin. Its originator was James Friedrich Ludolf Hobrecht. In the 1870s the city gained a functional network for municipal sewage. Alongwith the development of the city the sewer infrastructure was constantly expanded. In 1897 the sewer system consisted of 73.7 km of canalsand collectors, and in 1941 – 300 km. In the years 1914-1928 three sewage treatment plants were built. This municipal infrastructure was severely damaged during World War II.