Eagle Pharmacy, Krakow

The Eagle Pharmacy is located on Ghetto Heroes Square in the former Jewish ghetto of Podgórze. It gained historical importance during World War II as the only pharmacy allowed to operate within the ghetto’s boundaries. During the Nazi occupation, the only Polish sign permitted throughout the ghetto was the inscription "Pod Orłem” (meaning “Under the Eagle”) above its entrance. Its owner, Tadeusz Pankiewicz, a Polish Catholic pharmacist, chose to remain in the ghetto even after all non-Jewish residents were ordered to leave in 1941. His decision turned the pharmacy into a crucial centre of aid, resistance, and humanitarian support for the imprisoned Jewish population.

Throughout the ghetto’s existence, the Eagle Pharmacy became much more than a place to obtain medicine. Pankiewicz and his staff provided free pharmaceuticals, passed messages in and out of the ghetto, hid individuals during Nazi roundups, and supplied hair dye and other materials to help people avoid deportation by altering their appearance. The pharmacy also functioned as an informal meeting point for community members, intellectuals, and leaders of the Jewish Council. During the liquidation of the ghetto in 1942–1943, its rooms sheltered terrified residents, offering brief refuge amid chaos and violence. For these acts of courage, Pankiewicz was later recognised as Righteous Among the Nations by Yad Vashem.

Today, the Eagle Pharmacy is a branch of the Historical Museum of the City of Kraków. As soon as you enter the pharmacy, the counter stands on your right. Behind it, large wooden shelves display glass bottles containing botanical powders and extracts. Above the shelves, a wooden clock is topped by an eagle — a nod to the pharmacy’s name. To the left of the shelves, a doorway leads to the storage rooms, Pankiewicz’s office, and other restored interiors. The carefully organised rooms recreate the pharmacy’s wartime appearance, while multimedia exhibits present photographs, personal testimonies, documents, and objects related to daily life in the ghetto.

Standing at the southwestern edge of Ghetto Heroes Square, the museum forms a powerful triad with the square’s chair memorial and the nearby remnants of the ghetto wall. For those seeking to understand Kraków’s Jewish history and the human stories of resistance amid persecution, the Eagle Pharmacy offers one of the city’s most poignant and enlightening experiences.