The Medical and Pharmaceutical History Collection of Kecskemét was established in January 1985 through the merger of the Bács-Kiskun County Pharmaceutical History Collection and the County Medical History Collection, which were subsequently incorporated into the museum. The creation of these two specialist collections was largely due to the professional and historical interests of pharmacist Nándor Loránd and chief laboratory physician Aladár Réthy.
In 1966, Nándor Loránd began searching for and collecting old furniture, containers, discarded equipment and documents from pharmacies throughout the county. By 1968, his efforts had resulted in a substantial collection of considerable historical value, leading to the establishment of the Pharmaceutical History Collection. The national specialist museum entrusted Nándor Loránd with overseeing and developing the collection.
Supported and managed by the County Pharmacy Centre, the collection was presented in several exhibitions from 1969 onwards, not only in Kecskemét but throughout Hungary. In addition to expanding and cataloguing the collection, Nándor Loránd also carried out scholarly research. He documented the history of the county’s pharmacies and regularly published articles in the local press to introduce the collection and its historical treasures to a wider audience.
