The History of Polish Pharmacy Museums in the Context of European Museology

Abstract

The article outlines the history of Polish pharmacy museums in the broader European context. The first efforts to establish such institution date back to the second half of 19^th when, despite lack of Polish sovereign state, Polish pharmacists passionate about their trade called for creation of a pharmacy museum. Their continued efforts faced multiple obstacles, the two World Wars being the worst of them. In the inter-war period there were multiple collections assembled, but first Polish museum of pharmacy was established only after the Second World War in 1946 in Kraków thanks to dr Stanisław Proń. In 1970s a number of smaller museums were established in other Polish cities: Lublin, Warszawa, Poznań, Bydgoszcz, and Gdańsk. The transformation due to the collapse of the Iron Curtain caused a temporary crisis for pharmacy museums in Poland, with some establishments being liquidated due to withdrawal of the funding. However, soon after the Polish society got accustomed to the new realities a number of the museums were restored and even new ones were established, some as part of municipal Museums (Warszawa, Bydgoszcz), some within Universities, and some even funded by private companies (Lublin, Łódź). The article illustrates how rich and distinct is the field of Polish pharmaceutical museology, but also observes its connection to wider European realities.