Where did history of the pharmacy go?

Czech version

Authors: Sixtus Bolom-Kotari ^-; Jindřich Kolda
Authors‘ workplace: Katedra sociální a klinické farmacie, Farmaceutická fakulta UK v Hradci Králové
Published in: Čes. slov. Farm., 2026; 75, 34
Category: History of Pharmacy
doi: https://doi.org/10.36290/csf.2026.001

Overview

The text is based on the authors' paper at this year's LXXth Symposium on the History of Pharmacy (24/05/2025, Kuks) and summarizes their arguments as to why contemporary Czech pharmaceutical historiography is in an attenuation (decline?) and what are the possible paths to its re-flourishing. The authors see the cause of this situation in an overly narrow conception of the field, focused exclusively on strictly pharmaceutical matters, further in a certain preference for pharmaceutical education as a prerequisite for research into the history of the field and, last but not least, a impression that the picture of the history of pharmacy is already more or less complete with major publications by classics of the field, led by Václav Rusek. The authors see hope for pharmaceutical historiography in its opening primarily towards professional historians, reflection on internationally researched topics related more to the social or cultural history of civilization (and therefore also pharmacy), inter -⁠ and over-disciplinary team cooperation, and diversity of perspectives that may not be respected by the currently prevailing view of the linear development of pharmacy as a path of constant progress.

Keywords:

history of pharmacy – historiography – historical research – education of pharmacists

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