“HEALTHCARE TRADITIONS IN KRAKOW – COMPARATIVE STUDIES. ON THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE OPENING OF THE NEW BUILDING OF THE JEWISH HOSPITAL IN KRAKOW (EST. IN 1866)”
On Monday, October 27, 2025, an academic conference entitled “Traditions of healthcare in Krakow – comparative studies. On the 100th anniversary of the opening of the new building of the Jewish Hospital in Krakow (est. in 1866).”
The idea to organize this conference arose not only from the historic moment marked by the opening of the new Jewish Hospital building in Kraków and the forthcoming 160th anniversary of its establishment, but also from the need to reflect anew on the harmonious coexistence between Christians and Jews — a coexistence that, as Rev. Prof. Stanisław Piech observed, thrived “in the shadow of churches and synagogues.”
The new edifice of the Jewish Hospital in Krakow, the tradition of which dates back to the 15th century, was opened in 1925. Construction began in the 1860s. Before World War I, the hospital had several wards and specialist outpatient clinics. In the interwar period, it was expanded with new ones, equipped with modern medical equipment. The Jewish Hospital and its staff continued to serve the sick even during the early period of German occupation. In December 1941, the Germans unlawfully municipalized the hospital as part of the “contribution for causing the war” imposed on the Jewish population.
From that moment, the hospital — converted into a furniture warehouse — came under the ownership of the German Reich Community of the City of Kraków. After the end of World War II, this unlawful situation was effectively upheld by the communist authorities and even became the subject of illegal transactions. In the name of justice and the rule of law, this matter still calls for separate and thorough consideration.
The hospital was home to the clinical departments of the Jagiellonian University Medical College until 2023. After their move to a new location, the buildings were left unoccupied.
The Jewish Religious Community in Krakow has always been concerned with ensuring that the hospital at 8 Skawińska Street provides the highest standard of medical care, as this was the idea and intention of its founders. Unfortunately, despite the utmost efforts made by the Jewish Religious Community in Krakow over the past 20 years to settle the matter amicably, neither the State Treasury nor the Collegium Medicum of the Jagiellonian University have offered any solution that would end this unnecessary and unwanted dispute.
The conference was jointly organized by the Jewish Religious Community in Kraków, the University of the National Education Commission in Kraków, and the Kraków Medical Society. It featured speakers representing major Kraków universities and academic institutions. The event was chaired by Adam Gliksman, MA, Head of the Promotion Department at the University of the National Education Commission in Kraków.
The presentations addressed subjects including the operations of the Jewish Hospital and its staff, the history of medicine, and issues related to social work.
The conference was inaugurated by Helena Jakubowicz, Chairwoman of the Board of the Jewish Religious Community in Kraków, who began her speech with the words:
“My father, Tadeusz Jakubowicz, deeply wished to see this anniversary celebrated. Sadly, he passed away before this day arrived; his first yahrzeit, the anniversary of his death, will fall on November 5, 2025.”
She added her belief that “this conference will serve not only as a moment of reflection on the past, but also as a tribute to the doctors and medical staff whose dedication, professionalism, and passion merit our deepest respect.”
She concluded her remarks by recalling the hospital’s difficult legal history: “Today, on the 100th anniversary of this institution, we hope that medical care will once again be provided within these walls. Although the hospital was closed a few years ago, we deeply believe its mission will be renewed — and that all legal matters will be resolved with fairness and integrity, so that the Jewish Religious Community in Kraków regains what rightfully and lawfully belongs to it.”
Prof. Aleksander B. Skotnicki, MD, PhD, of the Jagiellonian University Medical College and author of a monograph on the Jewish Religious Community Hospital, delivered the conference’s opening lecture. In his talk, “The Jewish Religious Community Hospital in Krakow 1866–1941,” he stressed the hospital’s vital role in serving the Jewish community. He noted that it was a highly modern institution, with excellent equipment, an outstanding medical staff, and a solid reputation. Importantly, the hospital also provided care to Christians, who were never turned away.
The topics included:
– The Laboratory of the Jewish Hospital in Krakow – Prof. Przemysław Tomasik, MD, PhD, Katarzyna Klimasz, PhD (Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Institute of Pediatrics, Jagiellonian University Medical College)
– The Legacy of Jewish Self-Help and Contemporary Social Work: Reflections on the 100th Anniversary of Social Work Education in Poland – Hubert Kaszyński, PhD, Professor at the Jagiellonian University (Department of Mental Health Sociology and Social Work, Faculty of Social Sciences, Jagiellonian University; Paul Baerwald School of Social Work and Social Welfare, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem)
– The Jewish Community of Interwar Kraków in the Forensic and Medical Records of the Department of Forensic Medicine at the Jagiellonian University– Paulina Kowalska (Żelazko), MA, PhD student at the Institute of the History of Science, Polish Academy of Sciences; Doctoral School “Anthropology and History of Science”
– The Health of Jewish Schoolchildren in Kraków during the Period of Galician Autonomy – Dr. Alicja Maślak-Maciejewska, Jagiellonian University, Institute of Jewish Studies, Center for Studies on the History and Culture of Kraków Jews
– Bolesław Komorowski (1868–1936) – Doctor of Kraków Zwierzyniec: A Contribution to His Biography – Dr. Arkadiusz Więch, Jagiellonian University, Institute of History
– Dr. Jan Landau (1871–1936), Kraków Resident, Social Activist, and Physician: Director of the Jewish Religious Community Hospital in Kraków (1925–1936) – Michał Zajda, MA, Jewish Religious Community in Kraków
– The Role of Social Skills in Nursing for Graduates and Instructors of the University School of Nurses and Hygienists in Kraków, Based on Articles Published in the Journal Pielęgniarka Polska (Polish Nurse) During the Interwar Period – Joanna Pietrzak, MA, Małopolskie Centrum Nauki Cogiteon
Prof. Łukasz Tomasz Sroka, PhD, from the University of the National Education Commission in Kraków, delivered a lecture entitled The Jewish Religious Community Hospital in Kraków in the Context of Social and Political Transformations in the Second Half of the 19th and Early 20th Centuries. He focused on the hospital’s period of dynamic development, during which it, alongside its counterpart in Lviv, was one of the largest institutions of its kind in Galicia. It was also the only institution of this type maintained by the Kraków community council.
The concluding discussion highlighted that the Jewish Hospital in Kraków continues to stand as a remarkable symbol of coexistence between the Polish and Jewish communities, yet its current status—shaped by the policies of the German occupiers—still requires clarification and a just resolution.
UKEN photos – Marcelina Woźnicka
GWŻ photos – Gabriel Warzała