Old pharmacies

The history of Wroclaw dates back more than a thousand years. At various times, it has been part of the Kingdom of Poland, the Kingdom of Bohemia, the Kingdom of Hungary, the Habsburg monarchy of Austria, the Kingdom of Prussia, and Germany. Wrocław became part of Poland again in 1945 as part of the result of extensive border changes and expulsions after WWII. In 990 Mieszko I of Poland conquered Silesia and Wrocław. The town became a commercial center. In the 12th century Polish, Bohemian, Jewish, Walloon, and German communities existed here. Wroclaw was devastated in 1241 during the first Mongol invasion of Poland. In the 13th century due to migration from Saxony and Bavaria, Wroclaw got germanised. The population adopted the German language and culture and the name changed to Breslau. Between 1342 and 1344 two fires destroyed large parts of the city, which was a part of the Bohemian Kingdom at that time. Charles IV`s , successors Wenceslaus and Sigismund became involved in a long-lasting feud with the city and its magistrate, culminating in the revolt in 1418 when local craftsmen killed seven councilors. After the city had defeated the Bohemian Hussites the city was besieged by a combined Polish-Czech force in 1474, however, a ceasefire was signed, according to which the city remained under Hungarian rule. The Reformation reached Breslau already in 1518, and in 1523 the town council unanimously appointed a new pastor and thus introduced the Reformation in Breslau. In 1526, the Habsburg monarchy of Austria inherited Bohemia, Silesia, and the city of Breslau. In 1609 German emperor Rudolf II granted the free exercise of church services to all Bohemian and Silesian Protestants. In the following Thirty Years' War, the city suffered badly. It was occupied by Saxon and Swedish troops and lost 18,000 of its 40,000 residents to the plague. The Counter-Reformation had started with Rudolf II who encouraged Catholic orders to settle in Breslau. The dominance of the German population under the Habsburg rule in the city became more visible, while the Polish population diminished in numbers. After Frederick the Great besieged the city for a year, it surrendered in 1741. In 1742, Queen Maria Theresa handed over Silesia to the Prussian king. - The Rynek (the Ring) is a medieval market square. It has the shape of a rectangle with the dimensions 205 m x 175 m. In the center is the Old Town Hall. In the 14th century, the first two-story patrician houses with pointed roofs were built. In the middle of the 14th century, these already formed a closed perimeter. Gradually, larger and larger residential and commercial buildings were built. After the great fire of 1363, the first Gothic houses were built. In the 15th and 16th centuries, the fronts were remodeled in the Renaissance style. During WWII most 60% of the buildings were damaged. Only 17 houses were largely preserved. After the war, the restoration of the partially preserved buildings began immediately.

In Roman times Bononia (now "Boulogne-sur-Mer") was the major Roman port for trade and communication with Britain. Caesar's invasions of Britain started right here. From the 9th century on Boulogne was the capital of the "County of Boulogne". Godfrey of Bouillon and Baldwin I of Jerusalem, prominent figures in the First Crusade, were both Counts of Boulogne. The old town, located of a hill, is surrounded by ramparts since the 13th century. When the "Pharmacie Notre Dame" was founded in 1847, the Notre Dame Basilica was not completed. The basilica was built between 1827 and 1875 on the ruins of the old cathedral, that was destroyed soon after the Revolution.

Riga is the capital of Latvia. With a population of more than 600.000 about a third of all Latvians live here. A settlement of the Finno-Ugric Livs existed on the bank of the Düna. At the end of the 12th century, merchants from Gotland came to trade here. Albert von Buxthoeven, a fierce missionary, was the first bishop in Riga from 1201 to 1229. Riga developed as the hub of Russian trade and the starting point of the German colonization of the Baltic. The merchants who settled here after the subjugation of the surrounding peoples rapidly gained influence. In 1225, they were able to elect the city bailiff themselves, when the City Council existed already. After the Reformation, the power of the archbishops came to an end. After the outbreak of the Livonian War in 1558 the city favoured the status of a free imperial city of the Holy Roman Empire. It was only when the imperial support failed to materialize that the renewed advance of Russian armies led the city to pay homage to Poland's King Stephen Báthory in 1581, who in return confirmed the city's traditional freedoms and privileges. The 40-year Polish-Lithuanian rule, under which the citizens of Riga successfully resisted anti-Reformation efforts ended with the conquest of the city by Gustav II Adolf of Sweden in 1621. The Swedish crown treated Riga by its rank as the second-largest city in the kingdom and had it lavishly fortified. During the Russo-Swedish War (1656-1658), Riga withstood the Russian siege and maintained its position as one of the most important cities in Sweden until the beginning of the 18th century. During this period the city enjoyed extensive self-government. Rīgas Melnais balzams (Riga Black Balsam) is a traditional Latvian liqueur made from herbs, flowers, oils and berries with 45% alcohol content. The traditional recipe was created in 1752 by Abraham Kunze, an apothecary living in Riga. It was initially known as the Kunzer Balsam and sold only in apothecaries as a prescription medicine. According to a legend, Empress Catherine the Great was heading back to Russia and stopped in Riga for a few days. She became very ill and Kunze was asked to step in after the empress's personal doctor proved helpless. The balsam's success in curing Catherine the Great provided it with popularity and Kunze with exclusive rights to produce the balsam for the next 50 years.

There are two pharmacies in Satrup, but the "Königlich Privilegierte Apotheke" is the olderone. It is actually the oldest pharmacy in rural Angeln. King Frederick VI of Denmark granted the pharmacist Jacob Friedrich Vasmer the privilege of establishing a pharmacy in Satrup on March 22, 1836. The privilege to operate a pharmacy was only endorsed by the government and granted by the king if the appropriate conditions were met, i.e. the necessary supply of the population with medicines was not guaranteed elsewhere and the expected economic return ensured a future existence in the long term. The pharmacy is still in existence!

Lügde was first mentioned in 784 in the "Annales Regni Francorum" ("Royal Frankish Annals") when Charlemagne celebrated his first Christmas in what was then the Duchy of Saxony, namely in "Villa Liuhidi". The "Villa Liuhidi" was probably a small fortified place. The town of Lügde may have had "some importance" as early as 1195, as a coin minted that year exists. The city charter was certainly granted in 1246 at the latest, as the town plan, which is still in its original form today, and the fortifications, such as the town wall, moat and defence towers, were created during this time. In addition, Lügde had a market and a city council with a seal. Lügde was a planned foundation by the Pyrmont Counts. It has the typical three-street system with the main axis and two side streets. For a while, Lügde was the capital of the County of Pyrmont and the seat of the counts. In 1255 the Counts had to cede half of Lügde to the Archbishop of Cologne. In 1583 the residents converted to the Reformation. However, during the Thirty Years' War, after violent disputes, they were forced to give up the Lutheran creed and return to the Catholic. At the end of the war, a third of the city was destroyed and the population utterly impoverished. Following the inscription on the wall to the left, the "Arminius Apotheke" (pharmacy) was founded some decades later - in 1623.

Venice (ital. Venezia) is one of the most important tourist destinations worldwide with about 30 million visitors each year. As each tourist takes at least 100 photos (minimum!) in Venice 3000000000 photos are taken here per year, what means more than 8 millions per day. - The "Ospedale SS. Giovanni e Paolo", is Venice´s largest hospital. The building. erected from about 1500 on, once was the "Scuola Grande di San Marco", home to one of the major sodalities of Venice. Since 1819, when Venice was part of the Austrian-held Kingdom of Lombardy-Venetia, the building serves as a hospital. Here is - under a tympanum -the entrance to hospital´s pharmacy.

Bologna is the capital of the Emilia-Romagna region. Founded by the Etruscans, the city has been an urban center for centuries, first under the Etruscans, then under the Celts, then under the Romans, and again in the Middle Ages, when it was among the largest European cities by population. It is home to the oldest university in Europe established in 1088. Bologna is renowned for its culinary tradition. It is the home of the famous Bolognese sauce, called ragù. As in all of Emilia-Romagna, the production of cured pork meats such as prosciutto and salumi is an important part of the local food industry. Mortadella counts to the Bolognese specialities. Bologna is famous for its elegant and extensive porticoes. In total, there are some 38 kilometers of porticoes in the city's historical center. Farmacia Zarri

Colonia Copia Claudia Augusta Lugdunum (now Lyon) was an important Roman city in Gaul. It was the capital of the Roman province of Gallia Lugdunensis. The Christianization took place very early. In 177, the Christian community sent a letter naming 48 of their number who had been martyred. In 843 it was ceded to Lorraine and then passed to the Kingdom of Burgundy, whose dominion was entrusted to the Archbishop of Lyon by Frederick Barbarossa in 1157. In 1312 Philip the Fair incorporated Lyon into the kingdom of France. Lyon was the scene of an urban revolt in 1436 when Charles VII increased taxation. The uprising, mainly of small merchants, lasted a total of two months. During the reign of Louis XI. Four fairs were set up, attracting merchants from all over Europe, especially Italy. Lyon became an important center for the spice trade and, more importantly, the silk trade after François I granted the weaving rights, which until then had been an Italian monopoly. Florentine immigrants also made Lyon a financial center for banking and insurance. - It is often said that the most beautiful cities are located on rivers. Lyon is situated on two rivers, the Rhone and the Saone, which meet in the south of the city. - Pharmacie du Vieux-Lyon

Quedlinburg is known to have existed since at least the early 9th century. It was first mentioned as a town in 922 as part of a donation by Heinrich I (Henry the Fowler). According to legend, Henry had been offered the German crown at Quedlinburg in 919. After his death in 936, his widow Saint Matilda founded a nunnery, where daughters of the higher nobility were educated. The main task of this abbey, was to pray for the memory of Heinrich I and the rulers who came after him. The Quedlinburg castle complex, founded by Heinrich I and built up by Otto I in 936, was an imperial Pfalz of the Saxon emperors. The Pfalz, including the male convent, was in the valley, while the women's convent was located on the castle hill. In 973 during a Reichstag (Imperial Convention) Otto the Great introduced his new daughter-in-law Theophanu, a Byzantine princess whose marriage to Otto II brought hope for recognition and continued peace between the rulers of the Eastern and Western empires. The town became a member of the Hanseatic League in 1426. The abbey frequently disputed the independence of the town, which sought the aid of the Bishopric of Halberstadt. In 1477, Abbess Hedwig, aided by her brothers, broke the resistance of the town and expelled the bishop's forces. Quedlinburg was forced to leave the Hanseatic League and was subsequently protected by the Electorate of Saxony. Both town and abbey converted to Lutheranism in 1539 during the Protestant Reformation. Adler und Rats Apotheke founded in 1578.