Writers’ stone in the Nieuwe Kerk
On International Women’s Day, a stone was placed in the Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam to commemorate Betje Wolff and Aagje Deken. These writers were known for their powerful and critical voices on political and social issues, which was unheard of for women in the 18th century (and long after). Their 1782 epistolary novel Sara Burgerhart is considered the first modern novel in the Netherlands.
For the design of the memorial stone, Karen Polder used Jacob Wise’s Gablet font, for which he designed additional ligatures. The stone was carved by Henk Welling.
The writers’ stone for Betje Wolff and Aagje Deken is the eighth commemorative stone since 2018. The series includes stones for: Coornhert, design Gerrit Noordzij; Louis Couperus, design Tessa van der Waals; Hella S. Haasse, design Wigger Bierma; Willem Frederik Hermans, design Piet Schreuders; Johan Huizinga, design Walter Nikkels; Anton de Kom, design Natasja Kensmil; Multatuli, design Jeroen Henneman; Betje Wolf and Aagje Deken, design Karen Polder.