The Serbian Medical Society’s Museum of Serbian Medicine

by Dr Elaine Morrison and Mrs Carol Parry

In April 2025 we visited Belgrade to further our research on the Scottish Women’s Hospitals’ Girton and Newnham Unit. Whilst we were there we visited the Museum of Serbian Medicine and were very fortunate to be shown round by its senior curator, Dr Jelena Jovanović Simić.

When the Serbian Medical Society was founded in 1872, it started a collection of medical items.  Later in 1955, the Society founded the Museum of Serbian Medicine within the University Department of the History of Medicine and Pharmacy. In 1989 the Society and its Museum moved to its present location within the building of the First City Hospital. This interesting building was built in the 19^th century and is located in the Stari Grad (Old Town) area of Belgrade. It was the first purposefully constructed hospital building in Belgrade and was furnished with the latest technology, including an early attempt at air-conditioning.  Great care was taken to provide a comfortable hospital environment as it was realised that this was an important element of patient care and recovery. It is a fine building and some of its decoration is in the Secession Art style.

Outside view of the hospital as it is today

The building is no longer used as a hospital and the Medical Museum is housed in several rooms on the ground floor. The collection starts with individual biographical details of important medical practitioners in Serbia and also the history of the building. 

Plan of the original hospital

Plan for the original hospital:

Blue- Ward for Severe Internal Diseases (28 beds)

Green- Ward for Internal Chronic Diseases (28 beds)

Red- Women's Ward (28 beds)

Dark blue- Ward for Surgical External Diseases (30 beds)

Yellow- Room for Infectious Diseases (3 beds)

Orange- Room for Eye Diseases (3 beds)

The exhibits demonstrate the history of Serbian medicine chronologically from the Middle Ages up to the present day, however, there is also a collection of Roman surgical and cosmetic instruments.  There are details too regarding the history of the Serbian Medical Society, the University School of Medicine, the Serbian Military Medical Corps and the Serbian Red Cross. The museum’s display includes: medical instruments, a fine dental office from the 19^th century and an excellent example of an early X-ray apparatus.  Of particular interest to us were items used by a member of the Scottish Women’s Hospitals during the First World War.

Equipment

Outside, on the front of the building are plaques commemorating humanitarian help received by the Serbian nation during the First World War. These include a plaque, dedicated by the Australian Embassy in 2007, to commemorate the service of Australian women doctors of the Scottish Women’s Hospitals’ America Unit which was located at Ostrovo during the War. There are two other memorial plaques, one of which is dedicated to the Canadians, the other is in Serbian. A wreath was present beside the plaques and Jelena informed us that every year on 23^rd September there is a special ceremony of remembrance with representatives from various nationalities present, including the British.

Remembrance plaques

The website (in English) of the medical museum provides images of the exhibits and also a link to a video walk-through.

The Medical Museum now forms part of the Museum of Science and Technology in Belgrade.  We would like to express our thanks to Jelena, the senior curator, for spending so much time showing us round.

Dr Elaine Morrison and Mrs Carol Parry.