Old Pharmacy

The collection at the Old Pharmacy is one of the most valuable collections of pharmaceutical objects in Finland. The visitors can admire wooden medicinal product boxes from the early days of the pharmacy, hundreds of apothecary jars from different centuries – the oldest of them dating back to the 18th century, various equipment used in the preparation of medicines, ceramic round jars used in the storage of medicinal products and chemicals, pharmaceutical retail packages from the 19th century and numerous other interesting objects. Many of the old jars still contain old medicines.

The pharmacy history of Raahe begins from the year 1793, when apothecary Jean Galenius founded the first pharmacy of Raahe. Johan Sven Nilsson Stahre became the apothecary in 1804 and after him the post was taken up by Reinhold Otto Fock in 1811. They were followed by apothecaries Carl Wichman (1817–), Johan Valentin Wichman (1851–), Edvard Fabritius (1862–), Karl Arthur Tennander (1881–), Gustav Jaatinen (1909–) and Karl Åkersten (1916). In 1917, the pharmacy was taken over by pharmacist Väinö Mäkinen. He was followed by Paavo Mäkinen who worked as the pharmacist from 1961 to 1996.

There is no certainty about the location of the first pharmacy in the times of its first apothecaries but at least from 1820 onwards the main pharmacy was located in Kirkkokatu, just across from the church. In 1924, the pharmacy moved to the premises in Kauppakatu where it operated until 1998. In the last few years, the pharmacist was Hannu Svärd.

Pharmacists Väinö and Paavo Mäkinen kept and cherished the unique old artefacts in their pharmacy, and in the spring 1999 the Town of Raahe acquired the collection. At the same time, the Town rented the pharmacy premises in order to maintain and display the valuable collection in its authentic surroundings. The entrance to the Old Pharmacy is guarded by the very same eagle whose imposing presence adorned the entrance of the pharmacy on Kirkkokatu. The furniture of the Kirkkokatu pharmacy, renewed in 1900, was also moved to the premises in Kauppakatu.