Musical About Aletta Jacobs, Pioneer of Women’s Emancipation, in the Works
A new musical is being developed to celebrate the life and work of Aletta Jacobs, a groundbreaking figure in the fight for women’s rights in the Netherlands. Jacobs, who broke numerous barriers as a student, doctor, and activist, is being honored through this upcoming theatrical production.
Born on February 9, 1854, in Sappemeer, Groningen, Jacobs came from a family where her father was a physician and her mother managed the household and their eleven children. From a young age, Aletta expressed a desire to follow in her father’s footsteps, stating, “From my sixth year on, I repeatedly and resolutely declared that, just like Pa and Julius, I wanted to develop into a doctor,” as she wrote in her autobiography, Herinneringen van Dr. Aletta H. Jacobs. She didn’t initially believe her gender would be an obstacle, noting, “Not for a moment did the thought occur to me that this would be difficult for a girl. How could it be? At home, no distinction was made between boys and girls.”
However, the path to becoming a doctor wasn’t simple. In the late 19th century, Dutch universities were largely closed to women. Jacobs was not deterred. At the age of 17, she wrote a letter to Johan Rudolph Thorbecke, then Minister of Home Affairs, requesting permission to study at university. The approval was granted on Thorbecke’s deathbed and delivered to her father, Abraham Jacobs.
Jacobs went on to become the first woman to study at a Dutch university, and she earned her doctorate in medicine in 1879. This achievement paved the way for future generations of women in higher education and the medical field. The musical aims to capture the spirit of her determination and the impact of her work.
Aletta Jacobs wasn’t the only woman in her family to break ground. Her older sister, Charlotte Jacobs, also became one of the first women to attend a Dutch university. While Aletta is more widely recognized as a symbol of the first feminist wave in the Netherlands, Charlotte also dedicated her life to women’s emancipation, though she later moved to Batavia in the Dutch East Indies and didn’t document her life as extensively as her sister. More information about both sisters can be found here.
The upcoming musical promises to shed light on Jacobs’s life and legacy, reminding audiences of her tireless efforts to advance women’s rights. National Geographic provides a detailed biography of Aletta Jacobs, highlighting her numerous accomplishments and the challenges she overcame. The production is expected to resonate with contemporary audiences as discussions around gender equality and female empowerment continue to gain momentum. Atria, the knowledge institute for emancipation and women’s history, holds extensive archives related to Jacobs’s life and work.
