Pills Used to Be Something Else: The History of Medicine in the Alchemy Lab of TU Braunschweig
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Little Pillars, Gears, Tents: The Surprising History of the Pill
How did active ingredients enter the human body in the past? The tour INDUSTRIAL CULTURE on Site | Pills Used to Be Something Else invites you to the alchemy lab of the Technical University of Braunschweig on November 16, 2026. Prof. Dr. Wahrig traces the path of historical solid dosage forms to modern pill swallowing and opens up a vivid access to the cultural history of medicine.
Forms of Medicine between Household, Pharmacy, and Castle Kitchen
The focus is on those solutions with which households, pharmacies, and castle kitchens once shaped, portioned, and administered active substances. Historical materials, shapes, and manufacturing processes tell of a medical everyday life in which knowledge, craftsmanship, and societal ideas of health were closely interconnected.
The examination of works focuses on the materiality and form language of past medicines. Little pillars, gears, and tents appear as small testimonies of a history of science whose traces reach into the present. Their design makes visible how much medical progress has also been shaped by practical ingenuity and cultural habits.
The History of the Pharmaceutical Collection Braunschweig
Another focus is on the history of the Pharmaceutical History Collection Braunschweig. In addition to well-known collections, new products and acquisitions will be presented. The curation connects the history of pharmacy, everyday culture, and scientific historical research into a lively narrative about the evolution of solid dosage forms.
A concentrated exhibition atmosphere is created in the alchemy lab: Historical objects, precise explanations, and the special effect of the space lead to an aesthetic experience beyond classical art genres. Painting or sculpture is not the center; rather, traces of use, materials, and forms unfold their own visual language.
Guided Tour as Cultural Education
The event combines scientific expertise with a vivid guided tour. Old medical practices are newly explained and interpreted, so that seemingly familiar things like pills, powders, and dosage forms appear in an expanded historical context. The art experience lies in the detailed observation of objects, whose significance unfolds between science, technology, and everyday history.
Participation is free of charge; registration is required. Due to construction work, access to the building is not barrier-free. People relying on walking aids or a walker should use the entrance via Mendelssohnstraße 1.
Conclusion: Experience Medical Cultural History Directly
This guided tour opens up an unusual art experience between industrial culture, the history of pharmacy, and scientific collection. Visitors discover how historical dosage forms, new acquisitions, and medical knowledge are connected to a vivid history of healing. Anyone who enjoys experiencing cultural history through concrete objects should not miss this knowledgeable art experience in the alchemy lab of TU Braunschweig.
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