Visit Amsterdam Museum with me: Vrouwen van Amsterdam – een ode

Women of Amsterdam: An Ode at the Amsterdam Museum

Amsterdam Museum is a must visit for everyone who loves Amsterdam. Where else to better learn about the history of this beloved city than its own museum? In celebration of Amsterdam’s 750th anniversary in 2025, the Amsterdam Museum presents Vrouwen van Amsterdam – een ode (Women of Amsterdam: An Ode), an exhibition that wants to challenge the history books that are dominated by the male perspective. This exhibition explores the often-overlooked stories of women who have shaped the city throughout its history and pays a tribute to them.

At the heart of the exhibition are more than a hundred women, from inspiring artists and influential entrepreneurs to tireless activists and dedicated figures in working-class neighbourhoods. Their contributions to Amsterdam’s history are highlighted through personal stories, objects from the museum’s collection, and items on loan from private collections. Each of these women played a pivotal role in shaping the city, and the exhibition shines a spotlight on their achievements.

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Talking about what inspired this exhibition, Catherine Wolfs, the content leader of the project “Women of Amsterdam – an ode” said:

” When flipping through books about the history of Amsterdam, one notices how these stories are dominated by men. If women are mentioned at all, it is just as “wife of”, or they are being executed on the pyre for example. But if you think about it, the city would not have been what it is now without the contribution of women. So we decided that, for the 750th birthday of the city, it is high time we brought all these stories about and from women to the light, by asking anyone who wants to participate to make an ode to a women that has been of importance, big or small, to the city. These letters, poems, videos, audios or other files are being collected on an online platform that is the base for an exhibition, podcast and book, where we will dive deeper into the stories of some of the woman.
Also, the Amsterdam Museum has a long history of working with projects that highlight women and their stories, such as Vrouwen van Zuidoost, Vrouwen van Nieuw-West en Vrouwen van Noord.”

You can read the entire interview with Catherine in my article: A Special Project at the Amsterdam Museum: Women of Amsterdam: an ode.

Contemporary Art Inspired by Women

As part of the exhibition, ten contemporary artists and designers were commissioned to create new works inspired by the women who have influenced them and, by extension, the city itself. Mina Abouzahra, Tyna Adebowale, Danielle Alhassid, Mounira Al Solh, Yamuna Forzani, Céline Hurka, Jan Hoek, Duran Lantink, Çiğdem Yüksel, Charlott Markus, Sarah van Sonsbeeck, Studio L A, and Hedy Tjin are among the artists who contributed.

A Platform to Celebrate Women’s Contributions

On International Women’s Day 2024, Amsterdam Museum opened a platform where the public could submit their tributes to women who have made a significant impact on the city, in the form of odes. These could have been written, audio or video. Hundreds of odes have already been collected, many of which are featured in the exhibition itself. This impressive collection of odes dedicated to famous women but also less known ones can be found on the dedicated platform, and I urge you to check it out because it’s just incredible!

I visited the exhibition on the opening evening, when the museum was buzzing with many excited people who were eager to discover more about the women who shaped Amsterdam. It was a lively atmosphere, quite emotional as well. Some of the women featured were familiar to me, while others I had yet to discover, and I would like to go back to take more time to explore.

Visitors to the exhibition can also enjoy a guided tour where they can discover Amsterdam through the eyes of Amsterdam women and their works: from Aletta Jacobs and Thérèse Schwartze, to lesser-known women such as Saar de Swart. 

Children age 8+ can visit the exhibition as well and there is a special tour for them (only in Dutch).

Women of Amsterdam: an ode can be seen at the Amsterdam Museum until August 31 2025. Get your tickets: Amsterdam Museum ticket.

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