Who we are and how it all started
History of our Youth Hostel Amsterdam
The history of our Amsterdam hostels starts in 1855 in the Jordaan. The Jordaan – nowadays one of the richest areas in the city – was once one of the poorest neighbourhoods in Amsterdam. Moved by the deep poverty and misery in the neighbourhood, a pastor named Jan de Liefde started sharing bread and stories from the Bible with people on the street. This initiative led to the birth of the organization THDV (‘Tot Heil Des Volks’, translated: For the Salvation of the People). Out of compassion THDV provided clothing and food to poor families in the neighbourhood. Back in those days poor children weren’t able to go to school, so over time the organization opened six kindergartens (for 3 to 6 year olds) and three primary schools.