Secrets of the Tenement House at 11a Krupnicza Street
Visiting Krakow of the 19th Century
When you step into MedHotel at 11a Krupnicza Street, you may not realize that you are crossing the threshold of a place with more than 140 years of history. This two-storey building was erected in 1880 as an extension of the residence of the Mieroszewski family, built nearby in 1864 and known as the Mieroszewski Palace.
The project was designed by Filip Pokutyński – one of Krakow’s leading architects of the era. Italian Neo-Renaissance style, refined details, and classical form – all of these can still be admired today in the façade of the tenement house and its carefully restored interiors.
House of Doctors and People of Culture
In 1933, the building became the headquarters of the Regional Medical Chamber. It survived the German occupation as the so-called “Health Chamber,” where support activities for doctors and their families were secretly continued. After the war, medical functions returned to the building and remained there until the 1950s. In 2010, thanks to the efforts of the medical community, the tenement house once again came into the possession of the Chamber.
Among the residents of this building was Tadeusz Boy-Żeleński – a physician, writer, and translator of French literature, founder of the “Drop of Milk” organization, and creator of Poland’s first family planning clinic.
This address was also home to Dr. Aleksander Ameisen – a physician and chess player – together with his wife Zofia, an archivist at the Jagiellonian Library, as well as Bolesław Wallek-Walewski, a composer and founder of the Krakow Opera.
History Written in the Walls
Today, the carefully restored tenement house combines the spirit of history with modern comfort. MedHotel, located within its walls, offers not only comfortable rooms but also a connection to Krakow’s authentic heritage.
On the hotel walls hang original photographs of Krupnicza Street from the 1870s and 1880s – allowing guests to see what this place looked like over a century ago. Comparing them with the surroundings of today reveals how much has changed – and what has been preserved.
