Pictures from the Past of the Healing Arts / Orvostörténeti Közlemények – Supplementum 18-19. (Budapest, 2000)
Semmelweis's Birthplace - the Home of the Museum
Professor of Medicine , the saviour of mothers was born here in July 1st, 1818.' The memorial plaque, too, was ruined in the Ind World War and a simple marble plaque announces now: 'The birthplace of Ignác Semmelweis and the resting place of his remains.' It should be noted here that Júlia Semmelweis, whom we have mentioned above in connection with the conscriptions of the family, was still alive when the proposition about the placement of the memorial plaque at the Meindl-house emerged and she could see the perfection of this plan in 1906. Moreover she took part, in the festive celebrations with her son, Péter Ráth. Among the guests who attended the celebrations was Semmelweis's widow, Mrs Semmelweis Mária Weide lhofer, whose figure has been shown standing in front of the house in a photograph published in the Vasárnapi Újság (Sunday News) Although the birthplace had been marked, no action was taken in order to save the house from decay. It nearly shared the fate of the other buildings of the old Tabán district, i.e. complete pulling-down. Where narrow streets had twisted a green park took shape and there were only a few ruins left to evoke the atmosphere of bygone centuries. The tenants left this ramshackle house too, and town planning propositions urged the pulling down of the building. Fortunately enough, the house escaped this end, but the II. World War was far less merciful and totally ignored the significance of the place. It would be impossible to give an account of the long and tedious process that was maintained by the ardent cnthusiastics of medical history and those of the conservation of monuments in order to save and restore the building which had been condemned to demolition and was severely damaged during the War. The reconstructions were undertaken between 1962 and 1964. Egon Pf an , the architect, who was entrusted with the task, had to encounter a most complicated and highly responsible work. He had to design an up-to-date museum in a partly ruined burgher's house. After restoring the original facade, the only part which has survived, he created a modern exhibition area, which is easily distinguishable from the original parts at the back of the house, in the place of the destroyed interior. This building now houses the Semmelweis Medical Historical Museum and the remains of the great Hungarian obstcrician, which were rcburied in the back stone wall of the yard on October 15th 1964. Semmelweis returned to the place where his life began. Perhaps it has some ground to hope that his fifth grave is going to be in fact his 'final resting place'. In front of the grave there is a statue made by Miklós Borsos. It is a fine piecc of modern art which presents a most ingenious expression of the idea of Maternity. 14
