Samuel Sarphati (31 January 1813 – 23 June 1866) was a Dutch physician and

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...

city planner An urban planner (also known as town planner) is a professional who practices in the field of town planning, urban planning or city planning. An urban planner may focus on a specific area of practice and have a title such as city planner, tow ...

Biography

Sarphati's ancestors were

Spanish and Portuguese Jews Spanish and Portuguese Jews, also called Western Sephardim, Iberian Jews, or Peninsular Jews, are a distinctive sub-group of Sephardic Jews who are largely descended from Jews who lived as New Christians in the Iberian Peninsula during the fe ...

who arrived in the Netherlands in the 17th century. Though middle-class, his parents were able to let him attend a

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

school. At the age of 20, Sarphati started studying

medicine Medicine is the science and Praxis (process), practice of caring for patients, managing the Medical diagnosis, diagnosis, prognosis, Preventive medicine, prevention, therapy, treatment, Palliative care, palliation of their injury or disease, ...

Leiden Leiden ( ; ; in English language, English and Archaism, archaic Dutch language, Dutch also Leyden) is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Provinces of the Nethe ...

, which he finished with a promotion in 1839. During his work thereafter as a doctor in

(he lived at the house #598 Herengracht), Sarphati encountered the bad hygiene among the poor in Amsterdam. His compassion for his patients led him to initiate several projects to improve the quality of life in the city and the health of its inhabitants."Samuel Sarphati", Radio Netherlands Archives, May 14, 2003
/ref> This included a bread factory producing wholesome, affordable bread, and a refuse collection service. Sarphati played an important role in the initiation of waste transport in 1847. He became involved in politics, particularly as a project developer in city planning. Beside public health, he initiated improvements in education and industrialization. He wanted to enhance Amsterdam's dignity and standing by constructing impressive buildings like the Amstel Hotel and the Paleis voor Volksvlijt. Sarphati monument

After his death, Sarphatipark in Amsterdam was designed and named after him in 1885. The Sarphati Sanitation Awards have been named in his honour.

Buildings built on Sarphati's initiative

*The first trade school *A bread factory (''Maatschappij voor Meel-en-Broodfabrieken'') *Palace of National Industry ('' Paleis voor Volksvlijt''), destroyed by fire in 1929 *InterContinental Amstel Amsterdam (Amstel Hotel)

References

External links

Palace of National Industry
*
Sarphati in "Biografisch Portaal"
1813 births 1866 deaths 19th-century Sephardi Jews Dutch Sephardi Jews Dutch people of Portuguese-Jewish descent Dutch public health doctors Jewish physicians Physicians from Amsterdam {{Netherlands-bio-stub