Old Council Pharmacy Lüneburg

One of the splendid buildings from the Renaissance period on Bäckerstrasse, still a pharmacy. The entrance is one of the most artistic that Lüneburg has to offer.

More than 600 years of pharmacist history is stored inside, maybe one day it will be accessible to the public.

Across the entire width there is a saying in Latin, which, according to Luther, sounds like this in German: "Neither herb nor plaster healed them, but your word, Lord, that heals everything"
No pharmacist would advertise like this today. This is what Wilhelm II found in 1908 when he drove through Bäckerstrasse in his car. (In the past, the B4 ran right through the middle of Bäckerstrasse).

The magnificent entrance door is full of allegories of medieval healing art. Among other things, female allegories for two senses of taste can be seen. The one on the left, with a dog jumping up, is holding a so-called muskrat. It stands for olfactus, the smell. The one on the right feeds a monkey with apples and stands for Gustus, the taste.

The imposing corner building of the Lüneburg Raths-Apotheke (Rath Pharmacy) was designed in 1598, although already Renaissance, still with Gothic forms. The massive, nine-stepped gable is decorated with rope stones. The colorful sandstone portal is particularly striking. If you're interested in the interior, the pharmacist will understand if you take a look. The interior furnishings date back to the 18th century.Here you can purchase the salt cream made according to the pharmacist's original recipe.If you step back a little, you'll see a Latin saying in gold letters at the top of the gable. Translated, it means something like: "Neither herb nor plaster heals, but your word, Lord, which heals all." The large coat of arms above the portal indicates that the pharmacy belonged to the council. Two women sit to the left and right of the portal arch. The left allegory with a dog symbolizes olfactus, the sense of smell. The right one, with the monkey, represents gustus, or taste. They symbolize what a good pharmacist needs to make medicines: a keen nose and a good tongue.lueneburg.info/de/kultur/alte-raths-apotheke

Above the entrance and in the dew stone frieze on the eaves side, 1598 is named as the year of construction. One must assume, however, that a previous Gothic building was rebuilt, and that this year the current form with the Renaissance portal was created. The extension with the former ballroom was built around 1500. The front gable is designed as a 9-part stepped gable, horizontally divided by four rows of window arcades made of dew stones and quarter-circle shaped stones and cornices. The rear gable is a simple gable triangle with small segmental arched windows and dewstone arches. The cellar contains groin vaults. The ground floor, mezzanine and first floor have often been rebuilt over time. The basic structures are still easy to see.
Ceiling paintings from the 16th century were found and old floors. On the floor there is an old herb chamber with remains of a painting.