Eagle Pharmacy (Apteka Pod Orlem)

Tucked into the corner of Plac Bohaterów Getta (Heroes of the Ghetto Square), this small pharmacy carries a weight that few buildings in Poland can match. It is the only place in Krakow where a non-Jewish Pole chose to stay behind inside a Nazi-imposed ghetto — not because he had to, but because he refused to abandon his neighbors.

History & Background

When the Krakow Ghetto was established in Podgórze in 1941, all businesses owned by non-Jews were forced to relocate. Tadeusz Pankiewicz, a Polish pharmacist, successfully petitioned the Nazi authorities to remain. For over two years, his Eagle Pharmacy (Apteka Pod Orłem) became a lifeline — a place where Jewish residents could obtain medicine, receive news from the outside world, and find a rare moment of human dignity. Pankiewicz and his staff smuggled food and forged documents, hid people during deportation actions, and witnessed atrocities they felt compelled to document. After the war, Pankiewicz published his memoir The Krakow Ghetto Pharmacy, one of the most important eyewitness accounts of the Holocaust in Poland. He was later honored by Yad Vashem as Righteous Among the Nations.

What to Expect

Today the pharmacy operates as a branch of the Historical Museum of the City of Krakow, and it is remarkably well-preserved. Many of the original wooden cabinets, medicine jars, and furnishings remain exactly as they were during the war years. The permanent exhibition tells the story of the ghetto through photographs, documents, and personal testimonies, using Pankiewicz's account as its narrative backbone. Plan to spend 45 to 90 minutes here — the space is compact but dense with meaning, and rushing through it would be a disservice. The atmosphere is quietly powerful rather than dramatized, which makes it all the more affecting. Entry costs around 21 PLN for adults, with reduced rates for students.

Insider Tip

Before or after your visit, spend a few minutes in Plac Bohaterów Getta itself. The square is lined with 70 oversized empty metal chairs — a haunting memorial representing the furniture abandoned when ghetto residents were deported. Most visitors walk past without fully absorbing what they mean. Pairing the memorial square with the pharmacy visit gives you a much fuller picture of what daily life and sudden death looked like in this neighborhood. If you want even more context, the Schindler's Factory Museum is just a short walk away and works beautifully as a companion visit on the same afternoon.