Agneta Matthes

Agneta Wilhelmina Johanna van Marken-Matthes (4 October 1847 – 5 October 1909) was a Dutch entrepreneur. She and her husband were involved in the manufacture of yeast throughout their lives, and were engaged in the co-operative movement, taking care of their workers. Matthes and Van Marken created living quarters for workers in her hometown, Delft in South Holland, named Agnetapark after her. These are considered a model for the co-operative development and construction of garden cities (self-contained communities) for workers. Matthes founded and ran a Delft perfume factory, Maison Neuve, to take advantage of a by-product from the yeast factory.

Life

Family and childhood Agneta Wilhelmina Johanna Matthes was born on 4 October 1847 in Amsterdam in the Netherlands. Agneta Matthes was the daughter of Jan Willem Frederik Matthes, an insurance agent. She and her sister, Sara Elizabeth Marken-Matthes (1849–1902), grew up in upper middle-class circumstances. Matthes' sister Sara Elizabeth, Sara Elizabeth and Arnold lived at the Spoorsingel in Delft and had four children. Agneta maintained a close relationship with them, Nora named her first-born daughter after her sister "Agneta". Agneta Matthes shared her husband's belief in progress, and they both promoted the personal development of their employees.

Van Marken and Matthes took care of the three surviving children, Cornelis, Clara, both adolescents, and Anna, a young child. Officially they were foster children, but it was an open secret (officially secret but widely known) in Dutch society that van Marken was their father. The daughter of Jacob Cornelis, Erry Anna Eringaard, was married in 1932 to the diplomat and publisher Daniel Johannes von Balluseck (1895–1976).

Activities and services

Legal situation and sources of information Because legally, married women were required to have the approval of their husbands to do business, Agneta Matthes acted "for and on behalf" of her husband. Also because of this, extensive records of the business ventures and career of Jacques van Marken exist, while only a few sources mention the activities of Matthes. developed a premium wage system for his factory workers of the Nederlandsche Gist & Spiritusfabriek NV (1869), under which all employees could receive bonuses of two to 20 percent of their salary in addition to their basic salary "for good work and because of zeal". The company paid up to ten percent of its profits as a dividend to its employees. Due to van Marken's health problems, François Gerard Waller, his nephew, was entrusted with the management of the factory in 1886. In 2022, the trademark rights were reclaimed by Agneta’s family, who, under the leadership of Wibo Schepel and Birgitte Catijn Delisle, reintroduced the perfume brand as a niche fragrance in a limited edition. Notably, a year later, Van Marken’s original company, Royal DSM, merged with the Swiss family-owned Firmenich, a leading specialist in perfumes and beauty products, forming dsm-firmenich.

True to Agneta’s pioneering spirit, Maison Neuve will be presented at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, within the Dutch pavilion. Just as in 1880, during the first World Expo in the Asia-Pacific region, the brand will showcase its iconic, hand-painted Delft Blue bottles. For this special occasion, dsm-firmenich Master Perfumer Wessel-Jan Kos created the fragrance New Dawn—a stunning signature scent that highlights the innovation and creativity of Dutch entrepreneurship.

In 1883, the couple became interested in margarine, a young industry in the Netherlands at the time. With private capital and a legacy from Matthes' mother, they founded the Nederlandsche Oliefabriek NV, and built a factory next to the yeast factory. In 1885, they took over Delftse Lijm & Gelatinefabriek NV. Jacques van Marken officially acted as sole manager. To operate a purchasing co-operative in Agnetapark, they founded the Co-operative Winkelvereeniging in 1873. In 1892 they also founded a printing company, which now is owned by the Koninklijke Drukkerij GJ Thieme.

Factory journal On 24 June 1882, the first issue of an internal newspaper of the factory, called, Fabrieksbode ("messenger of the factory"), was published. It was the first magazine of that kind in the world. Agneta helped her husband with other publications, such as his 1881 book, La question ouvrière à la fabrique néerlandaise de levure et d'alcool. Essai de solution pratique (The Labour Problem in the Dutch Yeast and Alcohol Factory. Attempt at a Practical Solution), and another in 1894, L'Organisation Sociale dans l'industrie (The Social System in the Industry), which was printed in two editions and translated into English and German. The full extent of Matthes' participation is not known, but she was certainly in charge of the translations. in Hof van Delft, then a rural, sparsely populated village well outside the Delft city limits. From 1882 to 1884, the area was developed in the style of an English landscape garden, crisscrossed by streams, after the plans of landscape architect, Louis Paul Zocher, son of Jan David Zocher. Eugene Cowl, an architect, designed 48 row houses, other buildings, and a villa for Matthes and van Marken. The facility was named Agnetapark, after its founder.

To the great astonishment of the founders, the employees were not so happy as expected. The area was remote from urban infrastructure and lacked good transportation facilities. These disadvantages were offset by an improvement of community facilities in three buildings: De Gemeenschap (the community), a large house with a kindergarten and an elementary school, which served as a gathering place and a dining room. Other features included a gymnasium, a billiards club, de Tent (the tent) – a music and event pavilion, and a grocery store, which later also sold clothes. The park had a playground, a bowling alley, a shooting range, and a boathouse with rowing boats for hire. A volunteer fire department, a brass band, and clubs for shooting, bowling, and cycling also were founded. After the deaths of Matthes and van Marken, however, the park gradually evolved into a desirable residential area. In 1931 the villa, Rust Roest, which had long been empty, was converted into a school. It was demolished in 1981. Since 1989, the park has been listed as Cultural heritage.

During the winter of 1879–1880, extended periods of extreme cold affected the Netherlands. Permafrost and temperatures down to minus 16 degrees Celsius led to distress among the citizens of Delft. In response, Matthes founded the Vereeniging voor Armenzorg (Association to care for the poor), helping regardless of religious or political beliefs. She prompted her husband to launch a Wintersnood-Commissie, which was led by him, his brother-in-law Arnold Kerdijk, and CEO-to-be Gerard Knuttel. This insurance was also the first step toward more regulated pensions. Insurance in case of accidents at work was established in 1884.

Criticism Van Marken was regarded as a "social entrepreneur" and a pioneer of his time regarding social issues, however, he was criticised for acting for his workers instead of letting them participate. Although she was not explicitly mentioned, Matthes also drew criticism. In 1906, the journalist Frank van der Goes published van Marken's obituary in Het Volk, the organ of the Social Democratic labour movement. Two critical articles were entitled, "Een levensleugen" (A Delusion of a Life) and imputed ulterior motives of van Marken's undoubted social engagements. Van der Goes wrote that by providing care to his workers, van Marken had bribed their loyalty and wanted to exercise social control, while his staff was unduly dependent on him; for example, they found difficulty changing jobs once they had moved into a house in Agnetapark.