Queen Wilhelmina as an idol
On May 15th 1913, Queen Wilhelmina paid an official visit to the exhibition ‘De Vrouw 1813-1913’ (Woman 1813-1913) in Amsterdam. A couple of months later on August 16th, she came unofficially ‘just to look’.
Queen-mother Emma, prince consort Hendrik and crown princess Juliana also visited the exhibition. The exhibition lasted from the 2nd of May until the 30th of September and attracted more than 300,000 visitors.
The aim of the exhibition was as follows:
‘to testify that the Dutch woman in her fight for freedom didn’t come last among the European countries’.
Initiative-takers were Mia Boissevain, biologist and feminist, and Rosa Manus, nationally and internationally renowned fighter for women’s rights and peace. Wilhelmina grew in the course of her reign into an idol for a large number of prominent feminists, including Rosa Manus.
In nearly all archives of women’s organizations numerous telegrams and invitations to and from the queen can be found. The picture shows queen Wilhelmina (in white) and Rosa Manus on their way to the Indische Huis (House of the Dutch East-Indies) at the exhibition.
Source: Archive Rosa Manus inv.nr 64
