Historical Roots of St. Francis Hospital

St. Francis Hospital was erected in 1354. It would provide medical services for the poor, thus Bohuslav was able to give back to the community, and to the majestic city that he loved.

St. Francis Hospital: A Legacy of Compassion and Innovation

In 1620, Emperor Ferdinand II gave it to the Hospitaller Order of St. John of God, the brothers, for supporting him in the White Mountain Battle, or perhaps, according to what they say, because he was grateful to one of them for saving his injured hand – whereas his doctor wanted to amputate it.

In 1847 the surgeon Celestýn Opitz made in the St. Francis Hospital the first surgical operation under general anaesthesia of the Austro-Hungarian empire and of all Europe, an intervention which was celebrated with a plaque placed on the facade of the building.

Another important date is 1965, when the first intensive care unit of Czechoslovakia was opened. Important dates like the one mentioned are a testament to the technological advances in medicine throughout the ages of Czechoslovak history.

Advancements in Medical Hygiene at St. Francis Hospital

It wasn’t until the 18^th century that they finally put an emphasis on hygiene and cleanliness. They realised that if they cleaned each of their instruments, between surgeries, changed their aprons to wash away the blood-soaked uniforms, 6 out of 10 patients ended up dying, instead of 9 out of 10 if they did not.

Thus, less and less people ended up dying. It is also argued hat in modern times, The Czech Republic has one of the most sophisticated medical industries in Europe.

St. Francis Hospital During World War II: A Tale of Covert Resistance

During World War two was St. Francis Hospital a hospital that cared for the German Luftwaffe pilots. Pilots would be admitted to the hospital, cared for and then sent back to fight heroically on the front lines. However, it was during this period that a nurse working at the hospital devised a scheming plan.

As she had a serious bout of syphilis, her way of getting back at the Nazi regime was to sleep with the pilots, thus doing her medical responsibilities, but unbeknownst to the Germans, they would be worse off than when they had been admitted to the hospital, as in those days it was a death sentence.

St. Francis Hospital Today: A Pillar of Prague’s Medical Community

After the Velvet revolution and to this day St. Francis Hospital continues to be a central feature of the medical industry in Prague.

It is one of the most important stops when you are guided around in the moonlight by our professional guides.

The post St. Francis Hospital (Hospital Na Františku) first appeared on Prague Trips & Tickets.