Dr. Max Sandreczky and the Marienstift Children’s Hospital, Jerusalem

In the nineteenth century, pediatrics had not yet emerged as an independent medical discipline. Dr. Max Sandreczky, a German physician of Polish origin born in Greece, founded Jerusalem’s first children’s hospital, Marienstift.
For 27 years, the hospital treated children from across the Middle East without regard to religion, nationality, or missionary affiliation, an exceptional approach in Ottoman Jerusalem. His wife, Johanna, managed the household and prepared meals for patients, while three of their daughters served as nurses.
After Dr. Sandreczky’s suicide in 1899, the hospital closed. The historic building at 29 Street of the Prophets was designated for preservation in 1996 and later housed the humanitarian organization Shevet Achim, which brings children from many countries, including enemy states, to Israel for life-saving heart surgery.
Beyond its historical significance, the book is visually and artistically remarkable. It features dozens of restored historical photographs and engravings by renowned 19th-century artists. This visual documentation enriches the historical narrative and makes the book both a scholarly resource and an artistic reference.

Prof. Shemuel Nissan is a founder of pediatric surgery in Israel and former Head of General and Pediatric Surgery at Hadassah Mount Scopus Hospital. He devoted more than twenty years to researching Dr. Max Sandreczky and led public efforts to preserve the historic Marienstift hospital building.

Itay Bahur is an author and publisher specializing in documentary and creative nonfiction, historical writing, and narrative-based research. His work bridges scholarly research and literary storytelling, with a strong emphasis on human experience and visual documentation. His books include Max (1996), Zero Percent (1998), A Cracked Bell (2005), Autumn in Tbilisi (with Hedva Rokach, 2013), ALYN: A Pediatric Rehabilitation Hospital (2014), and Schneider’s Children (2016).