ROLL-UPIn the Photograph The image appears to show historical treatments in a beauty salon or sanatorium. Three women are seated, dressed in robes, with helmet-like devices on their heads resembling facial steam apparatuses (steam saunas) used to cleanse the skin and improve circulation as part of health and cosmetic treatments. The women sit in separate booths, covered with white sheets or towels. Beneath the chairs, basins or buckets are visible, suggesting the use of steam, herbs, or other cleansing procedures. The interior resembles an old sanatorium, spa, or balneological establishment. There is a high probability that the photograph depicts the interior of the Inhalatorium in Szczawnica. This building was constructed between 1934–1936 with funds from Adam Stadnicki, on the site of the earlier spa house called Zamek. The Reality: The AI is incorrect regarding the date, exact location, and even the people pictured. The photograph, titled Interior of the Brine Inhalation Room by Awin Szubert (1837–1919), comes from the album Szczawnica, published in 1912 (held in the National Library of Poland). Although inhalation devices are visible in the photograph, it is three men, not women, undergoing spa treatments in the inhalatorium. At that time, the inhalatorium was located in the Villa Pod Bogarodzicą on Dietla Square 5 (Old Baths). Since 1890, the first floor of this villa housed the Inhalation Institute, offering a chamber with air saturated with balsamic vapours from spruce needles, inhalation of concentrated local water, and medicinal sprays delivered with proper apparatuses in twelve separate rooms. Three of these rooms are visible in the photograph. Captions
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PANEL 1TEODOR TOROSIEWICZ (1789–1876) From an Armenian family Teodor Jan Torosiewicz was born on 6 November 1789 in Stanisławów, the grandson of Józef, an Armenian merchant and village head, and the posthumous son of Teodor Wincenty and Kajetana Bohdanowicz. He had six siblings (including a twin brother), but only three of his brothers survived into adulthood: Deodat (1780–after 1863) and Józef (1783–1859) — owners of the family estate Orelec in the Kołomyja district — and Dawid (1787–1849), a Warsaw lawyer and Napoleonic soldier. After completing secondary school in 1805, Teodor practised in a Lviv pharmacy. He then pursued pharmaceutical studies in Vienna, which enabled him to open his own pharmacy in Lviv, Under the Roman Emperor Titus. In 1834, he married Józefa Żelewska. The marriage remained childless. Józefa Torosiewicz passed away in 1880, leaving a charitable legacy. Father of Polish balneology, researcher, and inventor In the laboratory adjacent to his pharmacy, Teodor Torosiewicz conducted chemical analyses and for many years studied the mineral waters of Galicia and Bukovina. By 1849, he had visited 127 springs. His work on Galician spas — including Lubień, Konopkówka, Truskawiec, Szczawnica, and Iwonicz — played a crucial role in recognising their therapeutic value and in the rapid development of Galician health resorts. From 1825 onwards, Torosiewicz published articles on the natural sciences and innovative uses of natural products in numerous Galician and European journals. A devoted patriot and advocate of local chemistry, Teodor Torosiewicz engaged actively in Polish national and social causes. He deliberately published all his scientific work in Polish, explaining that he did so solely “in the pure desire to serve my country and its knowledge.” In 1831, he presented a significant supply of medicines to the commander of the Zamość Fortress for suffering Poles. Among his friends were insurgents, political exiles, and conspirators (including Izydor Pietruski, Wincenty Pol, and Dionizy Towarnicki). He also supported Polish youth and was a member and honorary member of numerous Polish scientific and social societies. A highly respected and congenial person Teodor Torosiewicz lived to an advanced age but ultimately contracted measles and died on 2 March 1876. He was buried at Łyczakowski Cemetery. His impressive chemistry library of 1,000 works was bequeathed to the Library of the Ossoliński National Institute. After his death, he was not forgotten — he remains a lasting figure in the history of Lviv pharmacy and Galician spas.
Based on the biography by Dr. Andrzej A. Zięba, www.Wiki.Ormianie.pl Captions
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PANEL 2Iwonicz Leaves a Most Favourable Impression on Those Passing Through In a picturesque and historically as well as legendarily interesting region lies the settlement of Iwonicz, formerly called Iwaniec, situated at 39°21’ eastern longitude and 49°41’ northern latitude, in Krosno County, in the former Sanok district, on the northern slope of the Carpathians, descending gently into the valley of the Wisłok River. This ancient settlement, famous throughout Poland for its iodine springs, has experienced various fortunes over the centuries — at times rising to greatness and renown, at other times falling into complete decline. The hostile fate that pursued our poor country for two centuries did not spare this charming corner, which remembers Tatar and Swedish invasions, the flames of destruction, and the times of Rákóczi, who attacked it from the captured Odrzykoń Castle. Today’s village of Iwonicz, numbering around 4,000 inhabitants and neatly, pleasantly built, is the property of Emma and Józef Count Załuski. It lies 6 km from the “Iwonicz” station of the Transversal Railway, connected by a well-maintained paved road, and stretches for another 6 km beyond it. To the visitor, Iwonicz makes a very favourable impression. Turning right from the government road near the tavern, one travels about 1 km along a good highway amid village buildings and their surrounding homesteads. At the entrance, where this road intersects with another leading to the manor and farm buildings, the traveller’s eye is drawn to a beautiful bridge — thrown in a single arch over the Lubatówka stream, built of hewn stone in 1783 by Ossoliński, then owner of Iwonicz, and adorned with his coat of arms in marble, contrary to the saying: “If you wish to remain whole and upright, stay away from Polish bridges.” From here, a comfortable road leads through a ravine winding above the rocky banks of the mountain stream Lubatówka. Rising from the low meadows at the entrance to the village, it finally opens into a charming, wide valley about 950 metres long and 380 metres wide, hidden among dense fir forest and situated 405 metres above sea level. In this lovely sunny valley — divided into two by the mountain stream and lying at the foot of Mount Przedziwna — the renowned springs have gushed for centuries. Around them grew the spa establishment, surrounded by wooded hills that shield it from winds without depriving it of sunlight, and that separate it from the noisy, bustling world. How long the Iwonicz springs and Bełkotka have been known as healing waters cannot be stated with certainty. The earliest records date back to 1630. K. Trochanowski, Iwonicz: Spa, Bathing and Climatic Resort — Its Description, History and Significance, 1913. National Library of Poland — www.polona.pl Captions
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PANEL 3The Spa and Climatic Resort in Szczawnica The spa and climatic health resort in Szczawnica is situated in western Galicia, on the Dunajec River, on the northern slope of the Carpathians, at 48°25’ northern latitude and 38°9’ eastern longitude, at an elevation of 500 metres above the Baltic Sea. Surrounded by high mountains in a sheltered valley inaccessible to strong winds, it is a location highly favourable for treatment not only in the summer season, but — thanks to its mild and stable climate — also in winter. The mineral waters are strong sodium–alkaline carbonated waters, the strongest of all known springs of this type. Their first analysis was carried out in 1816 by Dr. Rodius; in 1827 Dr. Ressig published a commendatory note about them in his study, recognising their exceptional healing properties. Since then, numerous further analyses have been conducted — by Torosiewicz, Aleksandrowicz, and later Hoff, Prof. Dr. Stopczański, and Prof. Dr. Radziszewski — all confirming their remarkable curative power. In the current year, Prof. Dr. J. Schramm of the Jagiellonian University has analysed the water from the Jan spring, demonstrating properties comparable to those of the famous Giesshübel water. All monographs published on Szczawnica recommend it as one of the most important climatic stations. The Szczawnica waters gained greater renown from 1848 onwards under their then owner, Józef Szalay, who received noble support from Prof. Dr. Dietl, a devoted promoter of these springs. The memory of this distinguished protector of domestic waters — who used to call Szczawnica “the queen of Polish spas” — was honoured with a monument erected in the main square of the Szczawnica resort. The late Józef Szalay bequeathed the Upper Resort to the Academy of Learning in Kraków, which from 1910, together with the Miedziusi Resort, was to constitute its unified property. Believing that a resort of such importance, under modern conditions, required energetic management and centralised administration, the Academy leased it on 1 January for 18 years to the undersigned — who will personally oversee both the administration of the resort and the distribution of its waters. The Szczawnica resort, with its seven springs fully endowed with healing properties, its mild and exceptionally favourable air, appropriate facilities, and picturesque surroundings including the celebrated Pieniny Mountains, can proudly compete with the foremost foreign spas of this kind. Szczawnica in Galicia: Spa and Climatic Resort, 1893. National Library of Poland — www.polona.pl Captions
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PANEL 4VOBIS ET POSTERITATI: In 1821, Baron Jan Konopka established the settlement of Konopkówka on his estate in Mikulińce, Podolia, where a sulphur spring had long been known. For centuries, its waters had been used both for bathing and drinking, with highly effective results. Anna Dorota Chrzanowska (née von Fresen), the second wife of Captain Jan Samuel Chrzanowski, demonstrated remarkable courage during the defence of Trembowla in 1675. Her heroic conduct was commemorated with a monument erected beneath Trembowla Castle. Archival sources report that after the glorious battle, Captain Chrzanowska and her fellow defenders used the mineral waters from Konopkówka both to heal their wounds and to restore their lost strength, with successful results. Initially, those wishing to benefit from the healing properties of the spring stayed in nearby villages or in the town of Mikulińce, where the water was specially transported. It was only Baron Konopka who established bathing facilities on-site for the visitors, greatly improving the comfort of the health resort and increasing its popularity. Captions
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PANEL 5Konopkówka Bathing Establishment (1826) By 1826, Konopkówka counted 60 neat peasant houses, providing comfortable accommodation for numerous guests. At the central point, where two streets intersect, a market square spreads out, flanked at its corners by four convenient inn houses. In addition to guest rooms, these inns housed stables for 130 horses and 30 carriages. The bathing establishment began with a 20-metre-high hall, covered by a dome adorned with sculpted stone figures, and beneath the cornice could be seen the establishment’s emblem: Vobis et Posteritati — “For You and Posterity.” The entire structure, measuring 120 metres in length, included two two-storey wings containing 100 well-appointed rooms, while the long corridors served as walking passages for guests during cold weather. Covered walkways connected the residential building to the bathhouse, which contained 43 bathing rooms. Sulphur water, heated in a closed boiler, was distributed via copper pipes throughout the baths. The spring itself gushed from beneath a rock, 15 metres below the main buildings, filling a reservoir. From there, part of the water was pumped into the boiler, while the remainder flowed into a nearby stream that ran through a beautiful park, leaving behind greyish deposits of sulphur and calcium carbonate. The baths were highly popular: in 1832, they attracted 4,228 visitors and supplied water for 72,732 bathtubs. Source: Geographical Dictionary of the Kingdom of Poland and Other Slavic Countries, Vol. IV |
PANEL 6ARMENIAN CONNECTIONS WITH GALICIAN PHARMACY Pharmacists, Pharmacists’ Wives, Pharmacists’ Daughters Around 1772, in the territory of Galicia — the Polish lands lost to Austria in the First Partition — medical supplies reached patients in various ways: directly from physicians, from itinerant merchants during fairs and religious festivals, from household medicine chests operating at manor houses, and, finally, from monastic pharmacies. Alongside these monastic establishments, secular pharmacies were also emerging. At that time, the largest number of pharmacies operated in Lviv — as many as seven, which accounted for half of all pharmacies in Galicia. Five of these Lviv pharmacies belonged to secular owners, among them an Armenian, Jan Muratowicz. The oldest pharmacy in Stanisławów, the Under the Anchor pharmacy, operating since 1777, came into the hands of Adolf Beil in the mid-19th century. He was married to a Lviv Armenian woman, Anna Czuczawa. From 1875, Stanisławów also had the Under Divine Providence pharmacy, owned by the Polish Armenian Albin Amirowicz, and later by his son Jan, both graduates of the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Lviv. In 1887–1896, another pharmacy in Stanisławów was leased by Seweryn Tebinka, a pharmacist of Armenian origin. In 1912, the sixth pharmacy in the city — located on Sedelmajerowska Street near the brewery — was opened by Zygmunt Teodorowicz, a relative of Archbishop Józef Teodorowicz of the Armenian Catholic Church in Lviv, previously practising in Złoczów. In 19th-century Horodenka, the local pharmacy belonged to the Armenian Aksentowicz family: first Grzegorz, then his son Marceli. In Bojany in Bukovina, the pharmacist was Kajetan Zachariasiewicz. Rich pharmaceutical traditions were also associated with the Armenian Zerygiewicz and Negrusz families. Izydor Zerygiewicz managed the pharmacy in Zaleszczyki; his wife, Maria Wanda Negrusz, was the daughter of pharmacist Alojzy Negrusz; their two sons, Grzegorz and Józef Zerygiewicz, also earned degrees in pharmacy. The Under the Star pharmacy in Chernivtsi belonged to the Krzyżanowski family, connected by marriage with the Armenian Szadbej lineage. From Chernivtsi also came Zofia Negrusz, the first woman to obtain a Master of Pharmacy degree (1909) at the local university. Polish Armenian women often married Galician pharmacists: Józefa Zachariasiewicz married Antoni Grabowicz of Sadagóra; Franciszka Zachariasiewicz married Aleksander Grabowicz; Julia Bohosiewicz married Feliks Muck of Bołszowce; Petronela Bohosiewicz married Mikołaj Karczewski, a pharmacist from Krosno. In 19th-century Lviv, one of the oldest and best-known pharmacies was the Under the Golden Star pharmacy, in whose shop window the kerosene lamp (co-constructed by Ignacy Łukasiewicz) first shone in 1853. The pharmacy belonged to the Mikolasch family, but there, too, an Armenian connection appeared: in 1900, Andrzej Romaszkan, a Polish Armenian married to a Mikolasch daughter, joined the partnership. In 1913, Bogdan Donigiewicz, known as Little Bodzio, earned his master’s degree in pharmacy at the University of Lviv. In independent Poland, he ran the Under the White Eagle pharmacy on Krupówki Street in Zakopane, and his portrait was painted by none other than Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz — Witkacy. The lineage of Galician Armenian pharmacists concludes with Teodor Torosiewicz — pharmacist, chemist, and balneologist; owner of the Lviv pharmacy Under the Roman Emperor Titus; and known as the “father of Polish balneology.” Captions
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PANEL 7The Pharmacy Under the Roman Emperor Titus In 1815, shortly after returning from Vienna, where he had completed his pharmaceutical studies, Teodor Torosiewicz began efforts to obtain permission to open his own pharmacy in Lviv. Although not without difficulties, he ultimately succeeded four years later. On 1 April 1819, the pharmacy Under the Roman Emperor Titus began operating. It was the ninth pharmacy in Lviv. The pharmacy was located on the ground floor of building no. 96 on Szeroka Street behind the Bernardine monastery (later known as Pańska Street). In 1829, a new address was recorded — 12 Czarnieckiego Street (the Nostitz House), where the pharmacy, equipped with countless reagents and numerous instruments, also functioned as a laboratory. It was there that Torosiewicz conducted extensive research in the natural sciences and, above all, carried out chemical analyses of Galician mineral waters. As Nowiny reported, in 1854, “after thirty years of diligent and strenuous work in his profession, Teodor Torosiewicz moved his pharmacy to his own building opposite the Imperial and Royal fire brigade; and we may say not merely moved, but reopened the pharmacy and laboratory anew, furnished in the most refined taste, capable of competing with the finest pharmacies in our state.” The building stood just next door, at 10 Czarnieckiego Street (today Wynnyczenko Street). In 1854, Torosiewicz commissioned its reconstruction according to a design by Lviv builder Wilhelm Schmid. After Torosiewicz’s death in 1876, management of the building and the pharmacy passed to his wife. At that time, the pharmacy Under the Roman Emperor Titus was regarded in Lviv as exemplary, resembling more a scientific institution than a profit-driven enterprise. Soon the new owner became pharmacist and Lviv councillor Andrzej Kochanowski, who commissioned architect Adolf Kuhn to remodel the building. In 1890, it acquired a completely new appearance, inspired by 18th-century French architecture. In 1900, another owner of the building, Jan Podgórski, ordered the replacement of the pharmacy’s display windows — the previous ones dated back to the time of the first owner, Teodor Torosiewicz. The pharmacist Antoni Ehrbar owned the pharmacy at that time; in 1903, he decided to move it to new premises at 3 Łyczakowska Street. As late as 1955, the Polish Pharmacy (Fulham Pharmacy) in London — invoking the tradition of the former pharmacy Under the Roman Emperor Titus — was operated by pharmacist Stanisław Ehrbar. In Lviv, the pharmacy on Łyczakowska Street still exists today. Although it is no longer the pharmacy Under the Roman Emperor Titus, one can still see there a portrait and several artefacts commemorating Teodor Torosiewicz, a Polish Armenian, Lviv pharmacist, and a pioneer of Galician balneology. Captions
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PANEL 8Memory Map In 1877, the legacy of the late Teodor Torosiewicz, who had passed away the year before, was transferred to the Ossoliński Institute in Lviv. Among the exhibits was a life-size plaster bust of Torosiewicz, the pharmacist, sculpted by Barącz. In the 1889 catalogue of the Lubomirski Museum, item no. 1737 lists: Bust of Torosiewicz, by Barącz. In 1878, an image of the bust adorned the cover of the Calendar for the Use of Pharmacists and Chemists. It is likely that this sculpture also decorated the meeting hall of the Pharmaceutical Society in Lviv. Unfortunately, the society’s collections were dispersed after World War II. The Barącz bust may currently be in the holdings of the Stefanik Library in Lviv or the Historical Museum of Lviv. In the 1980s, on the initiative of Polish pharmacy historian Prof. Wojciech Roeske, Iwonicz sculptor Władysław Kandefer created a new bust of Teodor Torosiewicz, which is now part of the collection of the Pharmacy Museum in Kraków. The pharmacy at 3 Łyczakowska Street is decorated with a historical display case and a contemporary portrait of the balneologist. Teodor Torosiewicz was buried at Łyczakowski Cemetery in Lviv, where an obelisk, though in poor condition, still stands. His memory is also honoured with plaques in Truskawiec and Iwonicz-Zdrój. Torosiewicz himself commissioned an epitaph in the Armenian church in Śniatyn, whose text is preserved in an old guide by Rev. D. Kajetanowicz: “To his most beloved mother Captions
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