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In the German Pharmacy Museum, you will come across 4 offizins, the old pharmacy shops. They nicely show the development over the years, from the first shops in buildings (rather than on old markets).
The table(s) in the middle of the room(s) did not serve as counter, as usually, the customers did not enter the pharmacists’ shops, but were given the medication through a little window. The tables have been used to mix the medicines’ ingredients.
You’ll come across beautiful pharmacy furniture, the famous drawers being still imitated today.
Pic 1: baroque interior of Benedictine monastery in Schwarzach (1724). 2 statues – Aesculap (god of healing) and Hygieia (his daughter) are standing on the preparation table, in their hands the symbol of medicine – snake and staff. The balance is of 1830 (France), having a porcelain pedestal. The mixing table has 60 drawers with ingredients; more ingredients are in the shelf, in beautiful glass vessels.
Pic 2: cherry wood closet and drawer, 1812, of Kronen Apotheke (Ulm, Germany).
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More material displayed in the showcases - minerals are used as raw materials for medicine since ages.
Silver (Argentum) for example was used to make “lunar caustic” (Lapis infernalis, AgNo3), which was good against gonorrhoea.
Gold (Aurum) mainly was used in alchemy days, but later as well as “potable gold” (aurum potabile) in several healing waters.
Lead (Plumbum) is too toxic to be used internally, so it’s basic lead carbonate “white lead” (Cerusse) was transformed into a white salve, used to dry out eczemas and other pustules.
Also, lead oxide (Lithargyrum, PbO) with adstringing effects, was made into plasters and “lead water” (Aqua plumbum).
Tin (Stannum) was used as “white lead” (Plumbum album”, Plumbum candidum) and used as vermicide – considering the hygienic conditions those days must have been a top sales product (haha).
Tinoxide was good against cramps, hysteria and syphillis, it’s chloride against epilepsy.
Copper (Cuprum), similar as lead, was also only used externally, such as anti-septic in wounds.
Iron as “Blood Stone” (Lapis haematitis, haematite, Fe2O3) and “Magnet Stone” (Lapis magnetis, magnetite, Fe3O4) has been the most important iron minerals, those days as today used to enhance “blood building” and wound treatment.
Pic 1: Some minerals used in the old days,
Pic 2: the “Merck Collection” (as mentioned in the previous tip)
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Even though this church is on main street - which really is NOT off the beaten path - hardly anybody takes the time to go in and have a look. I think that's a pity, as it is a beautiful church, built in 17th century. While the central window is religious, the windows right and left to it show scenes from Heidelberg's history.
The boys holding a wreath of roses in the lower part of the window are supposed to be the twin boys of the builder of the oldest building of the castle. They climbed up a ladder while their father was working , fell down and died. Legend has it that their father was so sad that he couldn't go on working, until they appeared to him in a dream, holding a wreath of roses. Only then was he able to finish the building.
You can also see the two boys when you're up at the castle. They are shown just above the entrance of the Ruprechtsbau, where the guided tours start. Leave a Comment
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For me the most fascinating part of Pharmacy Museum is the exhibition of plants, animals and rocks, as used for preparing medicine in the old days.
In 28 showcases with more than 1000 exhibits, the “working material” of 17-19th century pharmacists is displayed and excellently described. The exhibition is divided into the 3 parts of nature (regna naturae) – minerals, plants and animals. Also shown are the original instruments of how pills and salves have been manufactured those days.
In a niche, the “Merck Collection” is exhibited as well, a collection of raw materials and drugs which Chem.-Pharm. Merck KgaA (NOT to be confused with US Merck !!) did collect from all parts of the world when it started to develop from Engel pharmacy to the first international chemical pharmaceutical manufacturing company.
Pic 1: Plants: betel nut (enhancing sweating), Campher (against rheumatic fever), cocoa beans (with analeptic alkaloids) and coconuts (as base for salves) are shown and explained in detail;
Pic 2: more plants, such as herbs (dill) and others,
Pic 3: Animals: dried fox lung (pulmo vulpis) helped against severe cough, toads (bufo bufo) were processed (dried and grained) into medicine against the Black Death – the plague, and other skin illnesses, rabbits (tali leporum) were meant to enhance and speed up birth deliveries, and wood-louse (millepedes) was used against buckled or distorted limbs.
(to be continued in next tip)
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In the older days, a common pharmacy trade sign or logo (as today's red A) did not exist. That’s why the pharmacists could choose their own logo, which was inspired by the “raw materials” of their daily life, mainly animals.
So you can see beautiful carved, iron-wrought, plaster, enamel and other trade signs of old pharmacies:
Bärenapotheke (bears)
Einhornapotheke (unicorn)
Adlerapotheke (eagle)
Löwenapotheke (lion).
Today's trade sign, the red letter “A” with poison bowl and snake, exists since 1951.
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The pharmacist's lab is situated in a beautiful old vault, designed as if you would expect a pharmacist of 19th century to step out of a door and start his daily work :-)
The room is filled with all the lab equipment of early pharmaceutical-technical days, such as retorts, distillation flasks, vessels to catch and separate liquids of different viscosity and density, filtration sets, different presses, crucibles, Berzelius burners, Woulff bottles and many other old instruments – ahhhh, (al)chemist's heaven :-)
Look at the website below, to get an impression of the whole room.
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 The herb processing room by Trekki
The furniture and equipment are of the Village Pharmacy in Mosbach, mainly from 19th century.
Roots and barks have been pregrinded with special knives and cutting-boards, then in mortars for further crushing.
The big old scale in the middle was used to weigh bigger bulks of herbs.
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 The old witches' tower by christine.j
The one in Heidelberg was changed once again, after World War I it was turned into a memorial tower for Heidelberg students who had died on the battlefields.
The tower is inside some college buildings. From the outside, only the roof can be seen. On university square walk away from the main street, through a gate towards the old Jesuit college and you can see the tower. Leave a Comment
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Children, especially when they are still small, are not the least bit interested in the castle or the history of Heidelberg. But they would enjoy going up to the Königstuhl. This is a large area on top of the highest mountain of Heidelberg. You can do some hiking from there or you can visit the fairy tale park. There are several statues from the tales of the brothers Grimm, some rides for kids to enjoy, playgrounds, you can learn how an old mill worked etc. You can also try to shoot a ball up a wall with a water pistol, it's not as easy as it seems to be!
Prices are 3 Euro for adults, 2 Euro for children, but for some attractions inside the park you have to pay extra.
Their website is in German only, an indication that is really off the beaten path in a touristic city like Heidelberg.
To get there you can take a bus from Bismarckplatz, Bus 39, or you can take the furnicular. This is the more interesting way to go up. The new furnicular will take you up from Heidelberg Bergbahn station past the castle to the Molkenkur stop. Here everybody has to get off and change to the old furnicular for the last part of the trip. The old train is smaller, so there can be some waiting time.
Alternatively, you can also drive up there, just follow the signs "Königstuhl".There is a large parking lot.
Or, if you're really into working out, you can of course hike up. But that's not recommended if you are travelling with small children. Leave a Comment
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 Travel pharmacy case of
17th century by Trekki
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