Ode to Carry van Lakerveld | Dear Carry,

This text was translated using AI and may contain errors. If you have suggestions or comments, please contact us at info.ode@amsterdammuseum.nl.

You were not only the curator and later deputy director of the Amsterdam Historical Museum (now Amsterdam Museum), but for me as a then (1976) novice secretary in the museum secretariat, you were a role model. Whereas I had previously worked in a company where the management certainly did not deal progressively with the ‘lower’ staff, I was struck by the completely different atmosphere in the AHM. You dealt with issues such as the labour movement and women's emancipation and promoted Women's Consultation for and from museum employees. You were a comrade in arms. In that, you were always an example to me..

When Bob Haak left the AHM as director, you didn't want to succeed him. You preferred to deal with content and not management. However, when you were forced to take up the deputy directorship after Udo Vroom's disastrous directorship, it seemed better to go for the position after all. Rightly so! Things turned out differently. In my opinion, you didn't make it through some form of ‘Berufsverbote’. The very qualities I admired so much in you were not appreciated. People didn't want a ‘communist’ in that job... That was and is tragic and sad.

For me, you will always remain the woman who preceded me in the second feminist wave.

Thank you!

Yvon