Ode to Geertje Dade | 'Ignoring yourself'

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Geertje Dade,

'Behind every great man is a strong woman'. Sadly, she is rarely mentioned. That includes the woman behind the famous Amsterdam teacher, trade unionist, writer and politician Theo Thijssen: Geertje Dade. Therefore, an ode to the woman who made it possible for Thijssen to pursue all these pursuits outside the home.

There is rarely more than a single sentence about Geertje in the information about Thijssen. Yet before her marriage, she, like her later husband, was employed in education. She trained at the Industrial School for Girls on the Weteringschans. After obtaining the certificates in 'Useful Handicrafts' in 1898 and 1899, she worked as a handicrafts teacher at several public primary schools in Amsterdam: No. 101 , Lr. V and Lr. S. Until 1920, public primary education in Amsterdam was divided by class: free schools for working-class children or 'schools of the first class' did not have a name but a number. Second-class schools were given a letter.

During her studies, Geertje became friends with Marie (Johanna Marie) Zeegerman. Johanna married Theo Thijssen in 1906. The marriage was short-lived; after two years, Johanna died of pneumonia. Geertje took care of widower Thijssen and son Theo junior after her friend's death. In 1909, Geertje married Theo. Together they had a daughter and two sons. In Amsterdam Oost, the family lived successively in Pretoriusstraat, Laing's Nekstraat, Hogeweg and Bredeweg.

Like many married teachers at the time, Geertje hung up her job. She put her life at the service of her family. She took care of the shopping, the meals, the laundry, the cleaning, in short, the household and not least the four children and her mother-in-law who lived at home. She was also an exemplary hostess, because all the addresses where the family lived were a warm welcome for Theo's (teacher) friends.
 

'In the stories Geertje was known as 'a good, hard-working housewife' and a kind mother to the four children. She did not tire her busy husband with household worries,' I read on the Biography Portal site.
 

And so there were many Geertjes, 'housewives', without a profession, who invisibly kept things running in the background. 
 

As if she had no right to exist on her own, Geertje is always mentioned in a relationship to a man: the second wife of Theo Thijssen, the youngest sister of Han and Johan Dade (founders of football club Ajax), mother of Joop and Henk Thijssen who played well in football.
Who was she herself? There is a term in the Dutch language that applies to Geertje and most of her female contemporaries: 'Ignoring yourself'.

Thijssen wrote 'The grey child' thanks to the good care of Geertje, his 'grey' wife. Geertje did not publish 'The Happy Class', but realised 'The Happy Family' on a daily basis. Kudos! to this woman who made Theo Thijssen's works possible.

A walk with Geertje Dade in mind?

Roggeveenstraat 14: Public primary school second class letter S, now Bredeschool De Zeeheld.
Da Costastraat 60-62 : Public primary school second class letter V 
Built as a double public primary school, for the school of the first class number 67 and the school of the second class letter V. Later the Jacob van Lennepschool was located here, and later still a hotel school. 
Weteringschans 31, Industrial School for Girls
Van Ostadestraat 101: Public Primary School No.101
Pretoriusstraat 44 1-high
Laing's Neck Street 34 
Pretoriusplein, since 1986 Steve Biko Square for more ACOP houses
Bredeweg 36 1-high
Hogeweg 55 house