Eagle Pharmacy in Krakow

The "Under the Eagle" Pharmacy was founded by M.Sc. Józef Pankiewicz in 1909 in Podgórze and was the fourth pharmacy in the city, serving both Poles and Jews. After his father's death in 1942, his son, Tadeusz Pankiewicz, became the owner of the pharmacy. During World War II, when the Krakow ghetto was established, the pharmacy found itself at its center and became the only operating "Aryan" pharmacy in the ghetto, serving as a clandestine support and contact point for Jews. The team of employees, including pharmacists Irena Droździkowska, Aurelia Czort, and Helena Krywaniuk, not only provided medicines but also shelter for persecuted people and facilitated inter-ghetto correspondence. The pharmacy was a meeting place for intellectuals and artists, and discussions were held there on wartime events and scientific issues, such as the trisection of an angle against the backdrop of the history of science. After the liquidation of the ghetto, the pharmacy continued to operate, supplying those who remained in the ghetto area and later the new residents of Podgórze. After the war, pharmacies were nationalized, and "Under the Eagle" was transformed into a state-owned pharmacy. In 1983, the pharmacy became part of the National Remembrance Museum, and in 2003 it was incorporated into the Historical Museum of the City of Krakow. Thanks to funds obtained from prominent figures such as Roman Polański and Steven Spielberg, the museum developed its exhibitions. The "Under the Eagle" Pharmacy has been immortalized in literature, for example in Tadeusz Pankiewicz's book, and in the film "Schindler's List." It is interesting to note that the pharmacy long served as a witness to history, not only as a place for selling medicines but also as a critical space for the survival of the Jewish community in Krakow. Today, as a branch of the Historical Museum, it continues its educational mission about the difficult times of World War II and the history of the Krakow ghetto.