Ode aan Pekelder Wichter

In this anniversary edition, we shine a spotlight on women from Pekela, both from the past (drawn from the archives of Museum Kapiteinshuis Pekela) and the present. In compiling this collection, we followed two guiding principles: the subject had to be a woman, and she had to live in Pekela. Fortunately, we succeeded. From Bronsveen to Boven Pekela, women came forward, allowing our vision to take shape.

From each birth year of the past 35 years, we found a woman willing to pose for Hans Kral’s camera and contribute to this celebration. Each girl (or, in the case of the youngest, with her parents) was interviewed, and the results are presented on the adjacent page. Through this dual representation, we tell the story of the Pekelder Wichter (Pekela girls). That’s precisely what a museum is for: telling stories through objects or images, connected to their environment.

The oldest image dates back to the 18th century: a drawing of Aaltje Sterenborg, born in 1771. A pastel portrait of her (presumably made at the time of her marriage to Harm Eijes Sparreboom) was created in 1798—alongside one of her husband, incidentally. The youngest woman, truly still a ‘wichie’, is 0 years old in 2025.