Voormalig Rijks-HBS Sappemeer
The schoolgebouw of the Rijks Hogere Burgerschool was built in 1868. The style is eclectic with a classical façade.
Have a look now
There is also a wooden bell tower on the roof. The stately front door was only used after graduation ceremonies. The actual entrance was located in the western side façade. The building is impressive, but its history is even more so. This was, in fact, the school where Aletta Jacobs (1854–1929) took her first steps on her academic journey. In 1870, she was admitted as an ‘auditor’. This made her the first woman in the Netherlands to attend a HBS (higher secondary school). The following year, she was admitted to the University of Groningen, where she was once again the first woman. She would eventually become the first female doctor in the Netherlands. In 1951, the school’s name was changed. From then on, it was known as the Aletta Jacobs School. Today, the building is no longer used as a school, but as office space.