Behind the scenes of Women of Haarlem
Oana Stan (b. 1996) is the founder of Women of Haarlem. She is a Romanian art historian specialized in the Dutch Golden Age, with a passion for uncovering hidden histories of women and bringing them vividly to life.
About the Tour
This tour is a love letter—to Haarlem, Oana’s adopted city, and to the women history forgot.
While studying Renaissance art history, Oana realized she’d only been taught half the story: the male half. Her thesis research, tracing early modern collections in museums across the Netherlands and Belgium, opened her eyes to the quiet erasure of women artists. The names were there—but their works were missing.
That discovery changed everything. Since then, Oana has been on a personal mission to find the women behind the gaps in the story. This tour is a result of that journey—years of digging through archives, reading overlooked biographies, and learning from fellow historians.
Now, she invites you to walk through Haarlem with her, uncovering the lives, works, and voices of the women who shaped it.
Mission
The idea behind the foundation of Women of Haarlem is that women have never been absent from history. They have only been absent from the stories we tell it. The aim of my work is not to present women as exceptional figures or to treat their history as a niche subject. Instead, I want to show something more fundamental: wherever and whenever we look back in history, we find women shaping society as artists, entrepreneurs, patrons, workers, educators, and citizens. Their presence was never exceptional—only their visibility.
Women of Haarlem was created to bridge the gap between academic research and everyday life. As an art historian, I wanted to bring years of historical research beyond the university and into the streets, allowing people to experience history in the places where it unfolded. By reconnecting overlooked stories to Haarlem's buildings, artworks, and public spaces, I hope to encourage visitors to see the city—and history itself—with fresh eyes.
At its heart, this project is about making historical knowledge more accessible. I believe research has the greatest impact when it becomes part of public life, inspiring curiosity, conversation, and a richer understanding of the past. My mission is to contribute to a more complete and accurate historical narrative—one that reflects the diversity of people who have always shaped our cities, even when history has failed to make them visible.
Recognition
In 2026, Women of Haarlem was recognised as Best Women's History Tour Guide – Haarlem by the Benelux Enterprise Awards (EU Business News).