Apteka „Pod Łabędziem”

The “Pod Łabędziem” (Under the Swan) Pharmacy, founded by Constantin August Mentzel, as the third pharmacy in town, operated in 1853–2017. In 2003, a private pharmacy museum was opened in its backroom space. In 2017, the pharmacy was taken over by the Leon Wyczółkowski District Museum in Bydgoszcz, to look after historic objects and show them to visitors.

The swan, which was the symbol of the pharmacy, decorated the front of the tenement house most likely as early as the 19th century. In 1959, it was taken from the nationalized pharmacy to the Pharmacy Museum in Cracow. In 2006, it returned as a deposit, and its true replica was mounted on the building exterior.

This place will be open for the visitors from 15 December 2022.

What you can find inside:

historical compounding room and galenic laboratory

memorabilia from the Bydgoszcz pharmacies (18th c. – 1945)

remains from the old “Pod Łabędziem” Pharmacy / “Schwanen Apotheke” (19th c. – 1945)

social garden – the former garden of the “Pod Łabędziem” Pharmacy

educational workshops : herbalism, handmade candles and cosmetics and more