Hendrik Verwoerd was a South African politician who served as Prime Minister from 1958 until his assassination in 1960. He is often referred to as the architect of apartheid, a system of institutionalized racial segregation and discrimination in South Africa. Verwoerd's policies aimed to maintain white minority rule and included the establishment of separate homelands for black South Africans. Born in 1904 in Amsterdam, Verwoerd moved to South Africa as a child. He was educated in psychology and sociology, which influenced his political views. His tenure was marked by significant social and political unrest, leading to his eventual assassination by a political opponent.