The Pharmacy under the Eagle

The famous pharmacy ‘Under the Eagle’, is located in Ghetto Heroes’ Square number 18, at a very particular spot – right next to where former Krakow’s ghetto wall used to be. It’s now a branch of the Historical Museum of Krakow, where the evidence of Nazi genocide performed on the Jewish inhabitants of Krakow is being gathered and preserved. It’s a legendary and famous place. Pharmacy was one of not many non-Jewish institutions located in a Jewish ghetto. Due to that it was truly unique and was able to serve and protect people’s lives.

The pharmacy was founded and run by a Polish pharmacist Tadeusz Pankiewicz. He was the only non-Jewish person actually living inside the ghetto. His pharmacy was a secret point, where the elite would meet, the underground press was read and letters were exchanged. But most of all Pankiewicz and his staff would help sick Jews and protect many of them by smuggling them to non-Jewish part of Krakow.

Pankiewicz was able to provided shelter for Jews during night arresting. The pharmacy had two exits: the official and a spare one. The latter helped to save lives of many people escaping to Jozefinska Street. The hero also saved over a dozen valuables and old scrolls from local synagogues. After the war, when the communists took over the Pharmacy was turned into a low class bar and Pankiewicz himself moved. It remained in a poor condition until the 80′. In 1983 a museum was opened in the former pharmacy building due to efforts of Pankiewicz’s friends and war heroes, and in 2004 the interiors were refurbished due to the efforts of Roman Polanski and Steven Spielberg.

In 1983 the state of Israel honored Tadeusz Pankiewicz with a medal of ‘The Righteous Among the Nations‘ – a medal honoring those who saved Jews from the Holocaust. He died in November 5th 1993 and is buried in Rakowicki Cemetery in Krakow.

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