Hospital of the Order of Saint John of God

The large red-brick building you’re passing on your left is the hospital of the Brothers Hospitallers of Saint John of God, who are known in Poland as the Bonifraters. This Catholic order was founded in 1540 in Spain as a lay community, before being recognised by the Pope. It’s best known for its work in herbal medicine and mental health care. The Bonifraters arrived in Poland in 1609 and opened their first hospital under the motto “Let us do good.” They cared for the sick in Kraków for two centuries, but their monastery eventually fell into disrepair due to a lack of resources. In 1812, after some convincing from the local bishop, the king granted them an abandoned monastery with a garden and church—which is the complex before you. The street you’re about to walk down is named after them: Bonifraterska Street. The brothers continued their mission even during the German occupation. They played a vital role in the Resistance by hiring doctors dismissed from Nazi-controlled clinics, treating people sought by the Gestapo, and hiding those in danger. In 1949, the hospital was nationalised and by 1950, it was placed under the city’s control. The brothers were no longer allowed to enter. The hospital was later returned to the Order after the fall of communism and the birth of the Third Republic. It became the first non-state-run hospital in Poland. Now you know its full story.