Antall József szerk.: Pictures from the Past of the Healing Arts / Orvostörténeti Közlemények – Supplementum 5. (Budapest, 1972)
Semmelweis's Birthplace - The Home of the Museum
of the reburial of his remains in a special grave donated by the city authorities that the idea of marking his birthplace emerged. The Semmelweis Memorial Committee decided to place a memorial plaque on Semmelweis's birthplace in 1894 but the work was not carried out until 1906 when the Semmelweis Memorial made by Alajos Stróbl was unveiled as a crowning event of the International Semmelweis Celebration in Budapest. The red Swedish granite plaque was made by the sculptor Béla Seenger and placed on the wall with the following inscription: "Ignác Fülöp Semmelweis, Professor of Medicine, the saviour of mothers was born here on July 1st, 1818" (Fig.88.). The memorial plaque, too, perished in World War II. Instead of it a simple marble plaque announces now : " The birthplace of Ignác Semmelweis and the resting place of his earthly remains " (Fig. 89.). It should be noted here that Julia Semmelweis mentioned above in connection with the conscriptions of the family, was still alive when the proposition of the memorial plaque to the Meinđ house emerged and also lived to see its erection in 1906. Moreover, she took part in the festive celebrations with her son, Peter Ráth. Other persons beside the old lady attending the celebrations was Semmelweis's widow, Mrs. Semmelweis Mária Weidenhofer whose figure is preserved in a photograph published in the Vasárnapi Újság (Sunday News) as she was standing in front of the birth-place. Although the birthplace was now marked, nothing more had been done for saving the building from decay. It nearly shared the fate of the other buildings of the old Tabán district, i.e. being pulled down. Where narrow streets used to twist a green park emerged and there were only a few ruins left to evoke the atmosphere of by-gone times. The tenants left this ramshackle house, too, and town planning interests urged the pulling down of the building. Fortunately, the house escaped this end, but World War II was less merciful and ignored totally the significance of the place. It would be impossible to give an account of the long and tedious process that was carried through by the ardent representatives 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 World War II. The reconstructing works were undertaken between 1962 and 1964. Egon Pfannl, the architect 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, (Fig. 90-91.), he created a modern exhibition area in the place of the destroyed interior, easily distinguishable from the original parts. This building now houses the Semmelweis Medical Historical Museum and the earthly remains of the great Hungarian obstetrician were placed in the stone wall in the yard of the house on the Castle Hill side, on October 15th 1964.
