Samuel Sarphati

Take a good look at the monument right in front of you. That gentleman up on the pedestal is Samuel Sarphati, and if Amsterdam had a hall of fame, he would have his own wing. 

Born in 1813 as the son of a tobacco merchant, Sarphati grew up surrounded by real poverty. Streets overflowing with rubbish, disease spreading through neighbourhoods, and by 1850, half of all newborn children didn't even make it to their 5th birthday. Cheerful times, clearly. But rather than shake his head and carry on, Sarphati rolled up his sleeves. He worked as a doctor for the poor, once reportedly paying out of his own pocket for a sick child who didn't qualify for care under the rules. He launched a city-wide rubbish collection drive in 1847, helped set up the first mortgage bank, and co-founded a bread factory that made affordable food available to those who needed it most. 

And if that wasn't enough, he also played a key role in building the Amstel Hotel and the Paleis voor de Volksvlijt, a spectacular glass palace of industry. We've added a photo so you can see what it looked like, because sadly it no longer stands today. Not bad for one lifetime.