Germany,  Heidelberg

German Pharmacy Museum

Once inside Heidelberg Castle, it is a must to visit The German Pharmacy Museum (Deutsches Apotheken-Museum). This museum is located in the ground floor of the ruined Ottoheinrich Building.

The German Pharmacy Museum has an astonishing collection of over 20,000 objects representing the history of  medical sciences, with a focus on the history of pharmacy. Its collection is world renown and one of the largest and finest, spanning two thousand years of pharmaceutical history. There are all kinds of potions and medicines displayed in original cabinets, and lots of information on the history of pharmacies in general.

Here are some photos that I captured with a little bit of explanation:


During the 15th/16th century, there were numerous wooden vessels in this shape in every pharmacy, often decorated with coats of arms. They served for the keeping of dried substances like herbs, roots and seeds.


Statues of Aesculap (god of healing) and Hygieia (his daughter), standing on the preparation table. They are holding the symbol of medicine in their hands. The scale with porcelain pedestal were from the year 1830 (France). The mixing table has 60 drawers with ingredients; more ingredients are in the shelf, in beautiful glass vessels.


Drawers up-close: herbal medicines are kept here.


Beautiful jars and vessels to keep medicines.


Aspirin.


Officina of the convent St. Ursula at Klagenfurt,Austria, 1730. The officina was moved in 1952 and been here in the German Pharmacy Museum since 1957.

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