Mohren Apotheke (Historic Pharmacy Bayreuth)

The Renaissance building dates from 1610, and the pharmacy license was granted in 1614. It was not until the 18th century that the pharmacy was renamed "Moor Pharmacy." There are or have been Moor Pharmacies in almost a hundred German towns, especially in central and southern Germany. The name refers - with consistently positive connotations - to the (healing) knowledge from the African continent that was unknown in Europe at the time, especially to the leading medical practices in the Islamic, Moorish cultural area at the time, as well as to pharmaceutical products imported from afar. The term "Moor" has been criticized since the 1960s. Many people consider it to be a discriminatory or even racist stereotypical term. On the facade above the main entrance, in the middle of the lettering "Moor Pharmacy," you can see the gilded figure of a mythical creature with a mortar and pestle.

One of the most impressive historic commercial buildings on Bayreuth's Maximilianstrasse is the Mohren Apotheke. The corner house with the Renaissance gable was planned by Michael Mebart in 1610. Mebart came from the Strasbourg cathedral building school and worked in Bayreuth for many years at the beginning of the 17th century. His best-known works include the reconstruction of the Bayreuth town church after the great fire of 1605 and the extensive conversion of the Old Palace into the Margrave's residence.

The Mohren Pharmacy passed through the hands of many pharmacists before the von Brocke family bought the house in 1905. The von Brockes family owned the pharmacy for over 100 years; Three generations of the pharmacist family made it their life's work to maintain and maintain the pharmacy and the magnificent house.

In March 2009, the young pharmacists Dr. Jens Landwehr and Dr. Andreas Paul the Mohren Pharmacy. The traditional pharmacy was rebuilt and fundamentally modernized by mid-2010. The concept was to combine the preservation of the existing historical inventories with the demands of contemporary architecture.
The renovation work was completed in time for the celebration of the 400th anniversary and the Mohren Pharmacy presented itself to the guests as a venerable lady with a young face.

Why is a pharmacy called “Mohren Apotheke”?

The Moor represents the healing art of the Moors from North Africa. The defenders of the “Moor” have a difficult time: the Moor can still be seen in many places as the namesake for streets, pharmacies or even as a coat of arms.