Sibiu

Situated in one of Romania's oldest pharmacy buildings (built 1569), this museum showcases an 18th-century Viennese-style pharmacy, alchemical tools, and a homeopathy section. The Pharmacy Museum of Sibiu represents a remarkable pharmaceutical heritage site housed in a Gothic and Renaissance building dating from 1568, located in the historic Small Square of Sibiu, Romania. This exceptional museum occupies the site where Romania's first documented pharmacy operated from 1494, making it a cornerstone of European pharmaceutical history, and was home to the famous "At the Black Bear" pharmacy from around 1600. The museum gained particular historical significance as the workplace of Samuel Hahnemann, the father of homeopathy, who developed many of his groundbreaking theories while serving as secretary to Baron Samuel von Brukenthal in Sibiu between 1777-1779. The collection spans over 6,600 artifacts showcasing three and a half centuries of pharmaceutical evolution, including an authentic 18th-century Viennese pharmacy reconstruction with original wooden counters and shelves, thousands of ceramic and wooden medicine jars, laboratory equipment ranging from mortars and pestles to distillation devices, and an extensive homeopathic collection comprising over 2,900 pieces from the former "Angel" pharmacy. The museum's architectural features include semi-cylindrical medieval cellars that were part of Sibiu's ancient fortification walls, creating an atmospheric setting where visitors can explore the fascinating intersection of medieval medicine, alchemy, and modern pharmaceutical science through carefully curated exhibits that demonstrate the evolution from exotic medieval remedies to scientific pharmaceutical practices.