Gömöry House, 12 Király street

 
Source: urbface.com

In the 16^th and 17^th centuries, no laws regulated the Hungarian pharmaceutical industry. The first ever Hungarian university class of medicine had started in 1769 in Nagyszombat, although a year later pharmaceutics were included amongst the majors. This brought huge changes, though, since the image of this class was defined and shaped by colleagues, who were chosen as members of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences when they were practicing pharmacists.

 
Source: MESZL Budapest Collection, urbface.com

In the „Sturm und Drang” age of the pharmaceutical industry appeared Károly Gömöry, who started his profession in Pozsony. Born in Győr, he got his degree in the University of Vienna, then took over in 1803 the third pharmacy of Pest, established in 1786, on Király street.

 
Mihály, Pollack, the designer of the pharmacy (left), and József Hild, the architect of the separate apartments (right)
Source: Wikipedia

The customer traffic grew so much so fast that Gömöry had a new building built for his pharmacy named after the Holy Spirit. He also loved art, so his own workplace was designed with that in mind. He commissioned the best and most known artists of the time for designing and decorating the new building. The plans for the Király street pharmacy were drawn up by Mihály Pollack, the biggest artist known internationally in classicist architecture. He designed the impressive building with the necessities of a pharmacy. The two separate apartments were the works of József Hild. He thought it very important to greet the customers in a place where he himself also felt good.

   
Forrás: urbface.com

The one-story, U-shaped, elegant, puritan building with a linear-style façade had shops on each side of the gateway on the ground floor, while farther in were the laboratories. Upstairs was the apartment with an attic garden above it for the medicinal herbs. The plans of the furniture were created by Lőrinc Dunaiszky (he was the one responsible for the statue of Saint Teresa of Avila on the Saint Teresa Church façade, too), while the furniture themselves were made by Márton Rosznágel carpenter. The walnut cabinets were decorated gold-plated friezes in relief, the signs were carefully created featuring Aesculapius, Hygieia and allegories for Medicine, Chemistry, Healing and Medical Science.

  
The furniture ornaments by Lőrinc Dunaiszky
Source: urbface.com

The pharmacy was on a good place with a customer traffic that ensured finances for bigger dreams. Even József Eötvös, Lajos Kossuth and Sándor Petőfi had frequented it.

  
The more famous visitors of the pharmacy: József Eötvös, writer, Lajos Kossuth, minister, Sándor Petőfi, poet (left to right)
Source: Wikipedia

In the science journal of that time, the Medical Library, Gömöry had his articles published, so he fully met the expectations of the nearby doctors and the needs of the wealthier patients. But he also did much more. In the beginning of the 19^th century, he recognized the importance of city protection of historical monuments and buildings, taking active part in this cause, like supporting the reconstruction of the City Park. Future generations can find his name popping up quite a few times next to Pollack’s – who had the idea of upgrading Pest to a big city – and he was a curator for the Hungarian National Museum and the Ludovica Academy.

Besides the pharmacists, the famous resident of the house was Fülöp Jakobovics, the head doctor of the Jewish Hospital established in 1805, and who in Parliament achieved the right for Jews to buy property. Also resided here the painter Jenő Szigeti, one of the most prominent people of the painters’ school in Nagybánya. He was abducted on 16^th November 1944 by the Arrow Cross and spent the rest of his life in a German concentration camp.

 
József Török, pharmacist (left) bought the house, which became Török Pharmacy (right)
Source: Wikipedia, myjewishquarter.blogspot.com

In 1853, the building was bought by József Török pharmacist. His wealthy land owner family did not support his choice of profession, but he did not deter. After several years of pharmacist work in Hungary, he continued in Paris and London. He had good connections with the higher-ups there, who escaped the retaliation for the Hungarian Revolution of 1848-49, while he helped the ones in need, as well. Once he returned home, his interests in social issues pulled him into the race between the parties created after the Compromise. However, he had no desire for a political carrer, he had other plans: creating a “Pharmaceutical Empire”! First he expanded the Holy Spirit Pharmacy, accommodating to the needs of the wealthier citizens, which brought unexpected financial success. Thanks to the organizational work and the knowledge of József Török, his pharmacy became the most well-known and popular pharmacies of Pest. He wanted more, though: he was working on organizing the wholesale of medicine.

Once the building was big enough, the pharmacy was the perfect place for the base of this wholesale of medicine. This started the local wholesale, as well, servicing 600 pharmacies at that time. He also recognized how to get closer to patients more efficiently. Besides his great business sense, he brought a new way of thinking into the pharmaceutical industry. He worked out the guidelines for simplifying medicine, and how to make them more “tasty”, as in how to mask the bad tastes or smells. He even searched for shapes of tablets to ease the portioning and intake.

  
The old furniture of the pharmacy in the museum
Source: urbface.com

His multifaceted thinking created the basis of the Hungarian wholesale of medicine, and nr. 12 Király street preserves and takes on the mentality of its great predecessor: currently the headquarters of Hungaropharma Zrt. wholesale company of medicine resides here, and the remaining furniture is found in the Museum of Medical History.

Source: urbface.com