In the footsteps of Aletta Jacobs
She is the heroine of the Veenkoloniën: Aletta Jacobs. On 20 April 1871, she became the first woman in the Netherlands to enrol as a fully-fledged student at a university. She was the first – and immediately also the most famous – woman ever to study at the University of Groningen. This route allows you to follow in her footsteps and discover the diverse Sappemeer. Along the way, you’ll pass the places that shaped Aletta’s journey from a young dreamer to a successful doctor.
Young dreamer
Your walking route begins at the Historische Scheepswerf Wolthuis, at Noorderstraat 308 in Sappemeer. This is one of the oldest shipyards in the province of Groningen and is now also a museum. Here, it becomes clear that Aletta Jacobs had big dreams even at a young age. The story goes that Aletta asked one of the captains to take her to America, as she feared that her future in Groningen would consist solely of domestic work.
A haven of tolerance
The route then takes you past Aletta’s birthplace and the Koepelkerk. In her day, a synagogue, a Catholic church, a Mennonite church and a Reformed church were all within walking distance of one another. Sappemeer was a haven of tolerance, where different faiths could coexist. This was very much in keeping with Aletta’s ideals. You will also pass the Voormalige HBS. The headmaster allowed Aletta to attend school here as an auditor, something that was certainly not common at the time. Passing the Mennonite church and St Willibrord’s Church, you continue on to Aletta’s childhood home.
“ ‘From the age of six, I have always declared with the utmost conviction that, just like Dad and Julius, I wanted to become a doctor’ ”
All on an equal footing
No fewer than eleven children were brought up in this house. All were treated as equals, without distinction. So it is clear from whom Aletta had inherited her ideals. Walk on to Het Bonte Huis and, to round off your visit, pop into the station, where Aletta was a real local celebrity. From here, she took the train to Groningen every day to attend her medical studies at the university. If Aletta was running late, the train driver would wait a moment before departing. Comic artist Barbara Stok has turned Aletta Jacobs’ life story into a wonderful comic strip, which you’ll find in life-size form at the station.
Aletta Evening Walk
Every year, 8 March is International Women's Day, a day where worldwide attention is paid to the welfare and rights of women. One of the most famous people who actively contributed to this is from Sappemeer: Aletta Jacobs (1854-1929). In the Netherlands, she was the first woman to study and the first female doctor. She campaigned for women's health and rights and helped women gain the right to vote. So an important person in regional, national and also international history.
View the walking route
