Ode to Forgotten women of Amsterdam | All the forgotten Women of Amsterdam

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In the shadow of the canals,
where the echoes of ancient
stories mingle with the
sloshing of the water, we find
the unheard voices of
women who have shaped
Amsterdam, but whose names
are lost in the corridors
of history.

Today we honour a woman, a
treasure hidden among the
stones of this enchanting
city, a name that whispers in the
wind of oblivion.

O Woman of Amsterdam, whose
name in the depths of time has
sunk away, yet burns your
spirit like an eternal flame in the
hearts of those who 
cherish the wealth of this city.

You, who may have been invisible
to the history books, have
left your mark on the soul of
this place, as a silent architect
of the fabric of Amsterdam.

You were not a public figure, not a
name appearing in gold letters on
facades, but you were the silent
force behind the scenes, the
invisible hand that shaped 
the fabric of society.

Perhaps you were a woman who
opened doors for others, who
paved the way for those who
followed, or perhaps you were an
artist who caught the colours of 
the city in your brush.

In the winding streets of
Amsterdam, where every stone
bears witness to the passing of time,
we find your legacy.
Perhaps you were a mother who
taught her children to love,
a nurse who comforted the sick, or
a thinker who nurtured the 
spirit of this city.

It doesn't matter what role you 
fulfilled, because today we honour 
you, the forgotten heroine of 
Amsterdam.

Your legacy lives on
in the hearts of those who 
want to fathom, the
the rich history of
Amsterdam,  in the eyes of
those who realise that the
true strength of this city is not
only in stones and
monuments, but in the
stories of women like you,
who shaped it.

May this ode, like a loving
brushstroke on the canvas of
history, lift your name to
the heights of recognition and spread your
story slike a whisper 
through the streets of Amsterdam. You,
Forgotten Woman of Amsterdam, are
now immortalised in the collection of the
Amsterdam Museum, part of a
living archive that embraces the richness and
diversity of the women
of this city 

And so you live on, no longer
forgotten, but shining like a pearl
in the crown of Amsterdam.

Roos van der Jagt 

Read the original ode in PDF (in Dutch)