[Surgeons in Krakow between WWI and WWII]

During the war time when Polish borders had not been established yet, apart from having two surgical departments Jagiellonian University, Krakow had surgical departments in the Bonifratow, Izraelicki and Military Hospitals. More surgical departments were opened up in later years in pubic Health System Hospitals, among them were Narutowicz at near Pradnicka street and Sisters of Mercy at Lea street. Other well-known Krakow surgeons operated in smaller, private surgeries, such as: Dom Zdrowia (House of Health) or Zwiazkowy (Union) Clinic. At that time only 30 Surgeons worked in Kraków. They were outstanding specialists with a broad practice. Among them were Maksymilian Rutkowski, Jan Glatzel, Stanislaw Nowicki, Michal Hladij. Gradually, younger surgeons started to join them. they were: Jan Kowalczyk, Jerzy Jasienski, Stanislaw Kania, Wladyslaw Laszczak, Jozef Bugusz, Jozef Gasinski. Many of them who worked in the surgical hospitals in Krakow, left the city after obtaining a professorship (like Kornel Michejda, professor at the University of Wilno) or became heads of wards, like Zygmunt Drobniewicz, Alfons Mackowski and Tadeusz Guschlbauer. All of these surgeons were highly respected by the medical community as well as by the general public in their respective town and surrounding areas. A large income allowed that best of them to fund and supply their own wards. Occasionally, however, among the less successful surgeons, an uncompromising competition for patients developed. These events were disapproved and condemned by the medical establishment. Many surgeons led an active life outside of their profession. A surgeon with an exceptionally colorful personality was Jan Glatzel: witty, highly intelligent, a connoisseur of fine art, book lover with an active social life. Maksymilian Rutkowski was active in charitable organizations, helping to support Bratnia Pomoc Medykow. Michal Hladij, president of KS Cracovia, vice president of Krakowski Klub Automobilowy rendered his service to restore monumental cauldron in Rdzawka on the hillside of Obidowa. Others, like Dr Jozef Friszer, a former assistant in the Surgical Hospital, who also came from Krakow, later became and influential politician and the last prime Minister of the Second People's Republic.