Netherlands: Margaret Staal-Kropholler

Born in 1891 in Haarlem, Netherlands, Margaret Staal-Kropholler was considered the first woman architect in the Netherlands. She studied at the Arts and Crafts school in Haarlem, and then she studied architecture in evening classes at the “Secondary and Higher Architecture Studies” in Amsterdam (c. 1914–1916), but did not graduate. She also trained as an apprentice at Staal and Kropholler, an architectural firm owned by her brother, Alexander J. Kropholle, and his partner, Jan F. Staal. Staal-Kropholler worked for six months at the Public Works Department in Amsterdam (1915). She established and operated an independent architecture firm (starting in 1916), collaborating on architectural projects with her husband, architect Jan F. Staal (1930’s). She also served as chair of the Housing Committee of the Dutch Council of the Home (1950–1956). Her work was featured in the exhibitions, “Margaret Kropholler: Pioneer, Craftswoman, and Inspiration,” at the De Dageraad Museum in Amsterdam (c. 2025), and “Unprecedented Talent: Women of Amsterdam School” at the Het Schip Museum in Amsterdam (c. 2025-2026). Staal-Kropholler earned a silver medal at the Paris Exposition of Decorative Arts (1925). She died in 1966 in Amsterdam.