'Hulde aan onze kranige architecte!' : De opkomst van de eerste vrouwelijke architecten van Nederland

Abstract

The fact that Margaret Staal-Kropholler (1891-1966) is still considered to be the first and, until the middle of the last century, the only female architect in the Netherlands, needs to be put in perspective. In the same year that the unqualified Staal-Kropholler realised her first building in 1917, Grada Wolffensperger (1887-1965) was the first woman to complete her academic architecture education. Twenty more women were to follow Wolffensperger and completed their architectural training before the end of the Second World War. Some of these women went on to have successful careers. It is remarkable that most of these female architects have not been brought to prominence in historiography. How did the professionally trained woman enter the profession of architect in the Netherlands? Nineteen women completed their study of Architecture at the Technical College in Delft and two women obtained their final diploma of Building at vocational education level in Amsterdam (the VHBO). The choice for an academic career was not an obvious choice, taking into account the then prevailing social views that a woman was meant to fulfil her subservient role serving husband and family. Practising the profession of architect, which was reputedly typically male, was even more unthinkable. Thirteen of the twenty-one qualified female architects have actually practiced their profession. Some of them collaborated with their husband in their own architectural firm. Several women who remained unmarried had a career with government agencies. Such a position did not only offer financial security but for most women it also meant a possibility to further develop their skills within the professional field. Contrary to the expectation that female architects’ assignments would be limited to interior design, these women realised a typologically broad range of work, which mainly embraced the concept of the Modern Movement. A number of women were actively involved in women’s interest groups and advisory bodies. It was not until after the Second World War that female architects received media attention, albeit to a limited extent. With a few exceptions, they themselves published few or no articles about their work. Placing the rise of female architects in perspective, it is compared to the rise of women in the Netherlands in disciplines closely related to architecture, such as furniture design, interior design and garden architecture.