Sarphatipark, Amsterdam

Sarphatipark is a rectangular landscape park dedicated to Samuel Sarphati, the Jewish doctor, urban planner and benefactor who initiated it. Its design came from city engineer Van Niftrik, but his earlier proposal reserved this ground for Amsterdam’s central railway station. The park instead entered Jan Kalff’s expansion scheme, and work began in 1885, nearly twenty years after Sarphati’s death.

The low-lying lawns and ponds reflect a deliberate decision: unlike the surrounding streets, the park was not raised. The bust of Sarphati belongs to a monument erected in 1886 on a small artificial mound. During the occupation, the park was renamed Bollandpark and the bust was removed; both the original name and the bust returned in May 1945. Look for the former pumping station by the park edge: it now hosts nature activities, including an insect hotel.