Taking a Piss in Amsterdam

All things considered, it is a filthy, stinking part of the city. The public urinals that, to prevent wild urination, are scattered here and there throughout the city, offering men the opportunity to empty their bladders. The dark green metal utensils have been part of the Amsterdam street scene for more than 140 years. You hardly notice the pee curl, as it is nicely called, when you cycle, walk or take the tram through the city, they have blended in so well with their surroundings.

But oh, when they touch the pee curl with their hands

That is what photographer Renzo Gerritsen (30) thought when he read an article about it in this newspaper four years ago. ‘Goodbye dark green Amsterdam pee curl’ was the headline. The article was about the extinction policy that the municipality is pursuing. Defective curls are not replaced and if one is removed somewhere due to work, the pee curl is not put back. Because the urinal is not inclusive enough, says the municipality. They are then replaced by mvg toilets, for men, women and the disabled.”

Sometimes a pee curl disappears after a complaint, such as at the Nassaukade. Not really necessary, Gerritsen thinks. “Of course I have also stood in it, and I thought: what a shame if this object were to disappear from the streetscape. It is part of the city!”

”We can even be a little proud of the pee curl.”

Peeing in Amsterdam

Gerritsen, a professional photographer in his daily life, decided to capture all the pee curls in the city on film. You can see how the pee curl is positioned in the cityscape and what the interaction is with the people who use it.

Peeing in Amsterdam is the title of the book he made of it. Ode to the curl is the subtitle. With the amount of beautiful photos and informative text in two languages, it seems like a man was at work who wanted to bring everything about the pee curl to the surface. Yes,” says Gerritsen, sitting at a table in the Volkshotel, unfortunately not with a view of a pee curl. “There are only 38 left in the city. 37 you say? That’s in the book? Oh yes, that’s right, one was removed from Artis this year…”

First pee curl in 1880

Initially, Gerritsen only wanted to photograph the curls as they stood in the city. “But then I noticed that there was a lot more to it. Those things are cleaned, maintenance is carried out, a curl has been taken from the municipal depot to the Open Air Museum in Arnhem. I wanted to record all that. That’s how my interest grew, and then I also want to tell everything there is to tell about the curl.”

For example, that the first pee curl was placed in Amsterdam in 1880. Or that the curl at the Westerkerk had to be removed in 1966 in connection with the wedding of Princess Beatrix because such a urinal did not ‘fit in the picture’. Or that the pee curl was designed by the Public Works Department of the municipality of Amsterdam based on the golden ratio.

And did you know that there are single and double curls, with and without a roof? Or that since 2017 there has been a pee curl in the courtyard of the Het Schip museum in the style of the Amsterdam School, designed by Joan van der Mey?

Taking a Piss at the Ruysdaelkade.

Historical value

Gerritsen still misses something in his own book: “Photos of a curl that is removed and will not return. That will be done in October in the Oosterpark. It will be replaced by a mvg toilet.”

He does not think that replacing the pee curls is an idiotic plan by the municipality. “There have been no public toilets for women in the past hundred years. There were all kinds of reasons for that. Women did not participate in society, and a public toilet for women was incredibly expensive. It is a good idea that there are more mgv toilets in public spaces.”

Gerritsen also wants to show with his book that the pee curl, there were once 175 of them in Amsterdam, is not just a stinking object that people think negatively about, but that there is also a lot of history behind it.

The pee curl has historical value. When something slowly dies out, you get used to it, and you do not notice it when it is gone. Gone is gone. And the curls never return. That is quite bad, even if the Amsterdammertjes disappear soon, the same extinction policy applies to them. I think it is important that we learn not to just push these kinds of things aside, but also to pay tribute to them… To take the pee curl out of anonymity, so to speak.”

It is as if Gerritsen is talking about an endangered animal. Although… “On the Wallen, the pee curls are cleaned daily. They are already pushing there when the cleaner is not finished yet. Yes, people also poop in them, that is the less attractive side of the pee curl.”

Renzo Gerritsen joins the cleaner.

Proud of the curl

Gerritsen thinks that if people read the book, they will appreciate the pee curl more. “Especially as an Amsterdammer. You can be a little proud of the curl, of how the curl also determines the cityscape.”

The book Taking a Piss in Amsterdam is a beautiful document if the municipality ever wants to put the pee curl back in the city. “At this rate, it could take another 50 years before the last curl is removed,” says Gerritsen. “But if the municipality decides: we now have enough public toilets for men, women and the disabled, then they might also decide to remove all the curls at once.” And then? “Then I will chain myself to the last Amsterdam pee curl.”

Het bericht Taking a Piss in Amsterdam in Het Parool: “Then I’ll chain myself up” verscheen eerst op Plaskrul Amsterdam.

The book can be ordered here in my shop, together with the birthday calendar, set of 5 postcards or cotton shoulder bag!

”What an honor to be able to write the foreword for this remarkable work. A book that shines a well-deserved spotlight on an everyday object that is so characteristic of our city: the pee curl.

In the hustle and bustle of daily life, we often pass by it without paying too much attention. But as the wise words of Johan Cruijff tell us, “you only see it when you understand it,” it is worth taking a moment to think about it. Renzo takes us through the fascinating history of the pee curl, from its inception to its role in contemporary Amsterdam. With beautiful photos that not only highlight the urinals themselves, but also their integration into the urban landscape and interaction with different people.

It is fascinating to see how an everyday object carries so many hidden stories and meanings. From practical aspects such as cleaning and maintenance to thoughtful design choices and even political discussions on topics such as sexism. The fact that even museums include a pee curl in their collection illustrates the depth of the story behind these facilities. This book opens our eyes to history, humor and even a touch of nostalgia.

One thing is certain: after reading this book, you will never pass by a pee curl without noticing it again. Renzo makes you see it differently. This increases your appreciation for the everyday object that contributes to a characterful city.

If the pee curl is gone someday, at least we will still have this beautiful book!”

Ommetje met Tom

Tom and Josephine Jongbloed

Taking a Piss in Amsterdam

Ommetje met Tom

Under the name ‘Ommetje met Tom’ Tom and Josephine Jongbloed bring fun facts and trivia about our capital and have already gathered a nice audience. Did you know, for example, that there is a slot under The Night Watch in the Rijksmuseum? In case of emergency it drops down and is safely transported away via the bicycle tunnel.

I would like to thank Tom and Josephine Jongbloed very much for this beautiful foreword! It makes the book complete.

Het bericht Taking a Piss in Amsterdam: foreword by Ommetje met Tom verscheen eerst op Plaskrul Amsterdam.

Exhibition TAKING A PISS IN AMSTERDAM

The pee curl is a canal green urinal that can be found in and around Amsterdam since 1880. But the curl is slowly disappearing from the city street. With my book and exhibition I want to take the pee curl out of anonymity and show that the pee curl is more than a stinking urinal.

Various photos from the book will be on display during the open air exhibition in the Red Light District in the weekend of August 31st. There are no less than 5 curls on the Red Light District. You can find the photos there. Hopefully the photos will be on display the entire weekend, but the municipality may choose to remove them early. So don’t be late and come and have a look!

More than a stinky urinal

The pee curl was introduced in 1880 to prevent nuisance caused by wild urination. Working men urinated wherever and whenever they wanted, much to people’s annoyance. To this day, the pee curl has an important function.

But the pee curl stinks and that gives the urinal a negative image. Unjustified, I think. The pee curl has a history and a beautiful design. It is designed in the shape of the golden ratio, contains beautiful ornaments and the perforation at the top consists of clovers. While you urinate in the pee curl, you have a beautiful view of the streets of Amsterdam. The elegant floor with yellow tiles and a border of bricks completes it.

The pee curl was also an important part of the gay community. The curl was a popular location for cruising: seeking sexual contacts in the open air. Until the end of the 1980s, this was a thing. The removal of a pee curl was accompanied by a lot of protest from the gay community.

Buy the book, surprise your friends and family!

Three years of photography and research have resulted in the book Taking A Piss In Amsterdam. The book is full of photos that show the integration into the city streets and the interaction with different people. In addition to beautiful photography, the book contains fascinating information about the pee curl. History, design, sanitary sexism, cruising: it is all discussed. With the book I hope to change the negative image into a positive one. Instead of ‘geez, how dirty!’ I hope that we will soon say: ‘how nice, a pee curl’!

Don’t buy lame souvenirs! Buy the book full of urinals; the true Amsterdam experience. The book can be ordered via our shop, together with a set of postcards, calendar or bag.

The 5 locations where you can find the photos.

Het bericht Exhibition TAKING A PISS IN AMSTERDAM – Red Light District, 31.aug / 01.sep verscheen eerst op Plaskrul Amsterdam.