Ujazdów Hospital
| Ujazdów Hospital in Warsaw (defunct) | |
|---|---|
 Preserved buildings of the Ujazdów Hospital complex | |
 | |
| Geography | |
| Location | 2 Jazdów Street Warsaw,  Poland |
| Coordinates | 52°13′10″N 21°01′50″E / 52.21944°N 21.03056°E |
| Organisation | |
| Type | Military |
| History | |
| Opened | c. 1792 |
| Closed | January 1945 |
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Ujazdów Hospital was the oldest and largest military hospital in Poland, established around 1792 in the former royal castle in Ujazdów (Ujazdów Castle). It was dissolved in January 1945 after its evacuation to Kraków.
History
[edit]18th to 19th centuries
[edit]Around 1772, Stanisław August Poniatowski halted the reconstruction of Ujazdów Castle, and on 1 January 1784, he transferred it to the city for use as barracks for the Lithuanian Foot Guard.[1] After the palace was transferred to the city, Ujazdów was divided by Agrykola Street into a municipal area and the Łazienki Park. Part of the former royal gardens became the municipal Ujazdów Park (1893–1896).[1]
During adaptation works, outbuildings were expanded, including pavilions with internal courtyards, stables, a carriage house, and a lazaretto. Tadeusz Kościuszko planned to convert the barracks into a lazaretto during the Kościuszko Uprising (1792–1794), but this was not realised until 1 January 1809, when a permanent military hospital was established in the castle.[2] On 15 June 1818, by order of Grand Duke Konstantin Pavlovich, the Main Military Hospital, named "Ujazdów Hospital", was founded. In the mid-19th century, the Russians constructed several additional buildings near the castle.[3] By the late 19th century, the hospital expanded further with 20 new red-brick pavilions on the northern and western grounds.[1] The sprawling complex was serviced by a narrow-gauge railway.[3]
On 1 January 1916, under German occupation, a railway siding was added to transport the wounded.[4]
1918–1939
[edit]In the Second Polish Republic, Ujazdów Hospital was closely tied to training medical personnel for the Health Service.[5]
September Campaign of 1939
[edit]
During the defence of Warsaw, on 7 September 1939, part of the hospital staff was evacuated, leaving the wounded and sick without adequate care.[6] The hospital was damaged during German air raids.[6][7]
Approximately 600 deceased patients were buried under the hospital's wall, facing Ujazdów Park, in a temporary Warsaw Defenders' Cemetery. The remains were exhumed in 1950 and reburied at Powązki Military Cemetery.[3]
After the capitulation of Warsaw on 28 September 1939, the hospital continued medical operations under strained conditions. In 1941, parts of the bombed Hospital of the Holy Spirit were relocated there.[8] Beyond core medical duties, the hospital maintained ties with the Polish Underground State. In the so-called "Ujzdów Republic", it organised medical training for doctors and nurses and conducted research. Edward Loth, a University of Warsaw professor, established a Disabled Retraining Institute on 1 January 1941 and a modern rehabilitation facility, unique among occupied countries.[9] The hospital issued false disability certificates for hiding soldiers,[10] aided Jews and others pursued by the Gestapo,[3] and supported Soviet prisoners of war[9][11] held in a separate guarded pavilion without basic care.[9]
Notable doctors included Jan Krotoski, Teofil Kucharski, Jan Szmurło, and Adam Wrzosek.[12] From 1 January 1940 until the Warsaw Uprising outbreak on 1 August 1944, the hospital was commanded by Colonel Doctor Leon Strehl, chief sanitary officer of the Home Army's Main Command.[5]
Until January 1945
[edit]During the German occupation, many lecturers and graduates of the Sanitary Training Centre at Ujazdów fought in the Home Army.[13]
On 1 August 1944, Leon Strehl transferred to the Malta Hospital, and Lieutenant Colonel Prof. Teofil Kucharski became commander.[5]
On the fifth day of the uprising, 5 August 1944, Germans seized the area, set fire to nearby buildings, and ordered immediate evacuation. A convoy of 1,491 people from Ujazdów Hospital, 340 from the Hospital of the Holy Spirit, and five wagons with medical supplies, food, and funds was formed (some supplies were confiscated by Germans en route). The severely wounded were carried on stretchers and beds.[5][14]
The convoy departed on the morning of 6 August under Red Cross flags, with 350 women hostages from the Sejm added by the Germans.[5] The route passed through Górnośląska, Myśliwiecka, Łazienki, and Chełmska streets. Civilians assisted near Czerniakowska Street. The night was spent outdoors at Agricola Park and Legia Warsaw facilities.[14] The Sisters of Divine Providence at 19 Chełmska Street, near St. Casimir Church, provided support, equipping the hospital with essential supplies. By 31 August, it was the only medical facility in the area, treating hundreds, including German prisoners.[5]
Despite clear Red Cross markings, the hospital was bombed on 30 August, killing about 300 people, including 130 wounded. Further bombings on 11, 14, and 15 September killed 200 more.[5] Smaller groups relocated, one to 42 Dolna Street and the largest to Old Mokotów. A field hospital was set up at 91 Puławska Street, but it was burned during the pacification of Mokotów, killing over 20 people.[5]
After the uprising's capitulation on 2 October 1944, the hospital (three merged groups) operated in Milanówek. In November 1944, it was evacuated to Kraków, and in January 1945, it was dissolved.[5]
Hospital staff
[edit]| Position | Rank, name | Period of service | Subsequent role (fate) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Commander | Lieutenant Colonel/Colonel Doctor Antoni Szwojnicki | June 1930 – December 1932 | Chief Sanitary Officer, Border Protection Corps, †1940 Kharkiv |
| Colonel Doctor Kazimierz Jerzy Miszewski | December 1932 – April 1934 | Retired | |
| Colonel Doctor Jan Garbowski | April 1934 – September 1939 | †1940 Kharkiv | |
| Colonel Doctor Teofil Kucharski | September 1939 – 31 March 1940 | Home Army, Warsaw Uprising | |
| Colonel Doctor Leon Strehl | From April 1940 | Home Army, Warsaw Uprising | |
| In 1939[16][17] | |||
| Head of Statistics Laboratory | Colonel Doctor Kazimierz Szalla | As of March 1939 | |
| Head of Anatomy and Pathology | Major Doctor Wiktor Kaliciński | †1940 Katyń | |
| Head of Bacteriology | Colonel Doctor Leon Owczarewicz | ||
| Deputy Head | Major Doctor Tadeusz Roman Kawecki | ||
| Senior Ophthalmologist | Major Doctor Szczepan Wacek | 1934–September 1939[18] | Commander, Field Hospital No. 162[18] |
| Head of Otorhinolaryngology | Colonel Doctor Roch Brzosko | †1940 Kharkiv | |
| Senior Physician | Lieutenant Colonel Doctor Stanisław Ankudowicz | AK, Warsaw Uprising | |
| Head of Neurology | Colonel Doctor Stefan Mozołowski | †1940 Kharkiv | |
| Senior Neurologist | Major Doctor Witold Zdzisław Tyczka | ||
| Head of Clinical Laboratory | Lieutenant Colonel Doctor Kazimierz Łukasiewicz | October 1931 – August 1939 | General Staff, Army Modlin |
| Head of Psychiatry | Lieutenant Colonel Doctor Adolf Malinowski | ||
| Head of Radiology | Colonel Doctor Witold Zawadowski | ||
| Head of Internal Medicine | Lieutenant Colonel Doctor Michał Rosnowski | †1940 Katyń | |
| Head of Military Hygiene | Lieutenant Colonel Doctor Henryk Millak | †1940 Katyń | |
| Deputy Head | Major Doctor Aleksander Cybulski | †1940 Katyń | |
| Head of Dental Clinic | Lieutenant Colonel Doctor Stefan Mieszkis | Polish Armed Forces in the UK, Colonel | |
| Deputy Head | Major Doctor Jan Tadeusz Sapiejewski | †1940 Katyń | |
| Dentistry Specialist | Captain Doctor Wacław Borowicz | †1940 Katyń | |
| Head of Pharmacy | Lieutenant Colonel Pharmacist Kazimierz Bartoszyński | †1940 Katyń | |
| Deputy Head | Captain Pharmacist Stanisław Stefan Rajski | ||
Commemoration
[edit]On 1 September 1989 and 1 November 1997, commemorative plaques were placed on the preserved buildings of the former Ujazdów Hospital, initiated by the Polish Medical Association and graduates of the Sanitary Cadet School, respectively.[19]
On 1 January 1994, the Association of Creators of the Ujazdów Castle and Military Hospital Museum was established,[9] collaborating with the Military Institute of Medicine, which inherits the traditions of the Sanitary Training Centre. The association, including former staff and patients, began collecting artefacts for a planned exhibition. Prof. Hanna Odrowąż-Szukiewicz, who worked in Warsaw's military hospitals during the occupation, contributed significantly,[20] authoring books such as Szaniec Asklepiosa: wspomnienia żołnierzy, pielęgniarek i opiekunek społecznych szpitala Ujazdowskiego 1939–1944 and Powszednie dni niepowszednich lat.[21] The first exhibition opened on 1 January 2000, and a boulder with an inscription was placed in front of the castle:[9]
UJAZDÓW
THE OLDEST SITE IN WARSAW
PROTECTED BY LAW
1262–1526 – STRONGHOLD OF MAZOVIAN DUKES
1526–1792 – RESIDENCE OF POLISH KINGS
1792–1944 – UJAZDÓW HOSPITAL, TIED TO THE FATE OF THE HOMELAND
ERECTED IN 2000 BY
THE UJAZDOWIANS
The Museum of the Ujazdów Castle and Military Hospital opened on 1 February 2003 at the Ujazdów Castle Centre for Contemporary Art.[9] On 1 January 1999, the Ujazdów Hospital Avenue was named for a pedestrian path created post-war on the site of former hospital pavilions, running parallel to the rebuilt Łazienki Route.[22] Colonel Doctor Leon Strehl was honoured with a square behind Ujazdów Park.[23] Prof. Edward Loth was commemorated with a stone, erected on 1 January 2011 for the 70th anniversary of his death and 130th anniversary of his birth.[24]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "Jazdów: historia i pamięć" [Jazdów: History and Memory]. szpitalujazdowski.pl (in Polish). Archived from the original on 2017-02-13. Retrieved 2025-06-08.
- ^ Gorządek, Ewa. "Zamek Ujazdowski – Historia" [Ujazdów Castle – History]. csw.art.pl (in Polish). Archived from the original on 2016-03-04.
- ^ a b c d Głodowska, Jolanta (8 December 2011). "Był tu Szpital Ujazdowski" [There Was Ujazdów Hospital]. krajoznawcy.info.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2025-06-08.
- ^ Warszawskie tramwaje elektryczne 1908−1998. Tom I [Warsaw Electric Trams 1908–1998. Volume I] (in Polish). Warsaw: Wydawnictwa Komunikacji i Łączności. 1998. p. 111. ISBN 83-907574-00.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Szpital Ujazdowski" [Ujazdów Hospital]. Fundacja Warszawskie Szpitale Polowe (in Polish). Retrieved 2025-06-08.
- ^ a b Drozdowski, Marian Marek (1969). Alarm dla Warszawy. Ludność cywilna w obronie stolicy we wrześniu 1939 r. [Alarm for Warsaw. Civilians in the Defence of the Capital in September 1939] (in Polish). Warsaw: Wiedza Powszechna. pp. 109–110, 249.
- ^ Cieplewicz, Mieczysław (1981). "Bombardowanie i ostrzeliwanie Warszawy we wrześniu 1939 r." [Bombing and Shelling of Warsaw in September 1939]. Kronika Warszawy (in Polish). 4 (48): 64.
- ^ "Szpital św. Ducha" [Hospital of the Holy Spirit]. Fundacja Warszawskie Szpitale Polowe (in Polish). Retrieved 2025-06-08.
- ^ a b c d e f "Muzeum Zamku i Szpitala Wojskowego na Ujazdowie" [Museum of Ujazdów Castle and Military Hospital]. zamekujazdowski.art.pl (in Polish). Archived from the original on 2012-07-18.
- ^ Szarota, Tomasz (2010). Okupowanej Warszawy dzień powszedni. Studium historyczne [Everyday Life in Occupied Warsaw. Historical Study] (in Polish). Warsaw: Czytelnik. p. 96. ISBN 978-83-07-03239-9.
- ^ Kunecki, Daniel. "O Jazdowie" [About Jazdów]. domkifinskie.etnograficzna.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2025-06-08.
- ^ "Medycyna w Powstaniu Warszawskim" [Medicine in the Warsaw Uprising]. Departament wojskowej służby zdrowia MON (in Polish). 1 August 2013. Archived from the original on 2015-11-21.
- ^ Cieciura, Marek. "Żołnierze Armii Krajowej – wykładowcy i absolwenci Centrum Wyszkolenia Sanitarnego" [Home Army Soldiers – Lecturers and Graduates of the Sanitary Training Centre]. armiakrajowa.org.pl (in Polish). Archived from the original on 2021-04-11.
- ^ a b Wiśniewska, Maria. "Szpitale Warszawskie – Szpitale Powstańcze" [Warsaw Hospitals – Uprising Hospitals]. Towarzystwo Lekarskie Warszawskie (in Polish). Retrieved 2025-06-08.
- ^ Ciesielska, Maria (2013). "Szczepan Wacek (1895-1980) – lekarz, żołnierz, więzień" [Szczepan Wacek (1895–1980) – Doctor, Soldier, Prisoner]. Acta Medicorum Polonorum. 3. Poznań: Katedra i Zakład Historii Nauk Medycznych: 17–18. doi:10.20883/amp.2013/4. ISSN 2083-0343.
- ^ Rybka, Ryszard; Stepan, Kamil (2006). Rocznik oficerski 1939. Stan na dzień 23 marca 1939 [Officer Yearbook 1939. As of 23 March 1939] (in Polish). Kraków: Fundacja CDCN. p. 492. ISBN 9788371888991.
- ^ Wojtkowiak, Stefan (1973). Lancet i karabin. Dzieje szkolnictwa medycznego w Wojsku Polskim [Lancet and Rifle. The History of Medical Education in the Polish Army] (in Polish). Warsaw: Wydawnictwo Ministerstwa Obrony Narodowej. pp. 333–334.
- ^ a b Ciesielska (2013, p. 17)
- ^ Rużyłło, Edward. "Studenci medycyny – podchorążowie z Ujazdowa" [Medical Students – Cadets from Ujazdów]. etyka.doktorzy.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2025-06-08.
- ^ "Hanna Maria Odrowąż-Szukiewicz". Muzeum Powstania Warszawskiego (in Polish). Retrieved 2025-06-08.
- ^ "Hanna Odrowąż-Szukiewicz – o autorze" [Hanna Odrowąż-Szukiewicz – About the Author]. Lubimyczytać.pl (in Polish). Retrieved 2025-06-08.
- ^ "Aleja Szpitala Ujazdowskiego" [Ujazdów Hospital Avenue]. Warszawikia (in Polish). Retrieved 2025-06-08.
- ^ "Skwer płk. dr. Leona Strehla" [Col. Dr. Leon Strehl Square]. Polska Niezwykła (in Polish). Archived from the original on 2017-02-13.
- ^ "Stowarzyszenie Twórców Muzeum Zamku i Szpitala Wojskowego na Ujazdowie" [Association of Creators of the Ujazdów Castle and Military Hospital Museum] (PDF). Acta Medicorum Polonorum (in Polish). 4. Uniwersytet Medyczny w Poznaniu: 213–214. 2014. ISSN 2083-0343.