Castles of Serbia

Old Pharmacy

Krupanj

In the green heart of Mačva and Podrinje, surrounded by mountains and forests, is the small town of Krupanj. In the very centre of the pedestrian zone, there is a yellow-green building with wooden pillars, across from the memorial church of the Holy Ascension of the Lord. The old pharmacy was built in the period from 1899 to 1900, for Aca and Pera Despić from Vienna, who were then tenants of the Krupanj mines. The Despićs used the house as a villa when they stayed here.

The old pharmacy is a small building, which has a slightly wider ground floor and a small porch and a narrow floor. It was built in the so-called “German style”, which should not surprise us, considering that the Despićs lived in Austria. The “German style” was considered to be a combination of brick and wooden beams, which are a striking detail on the porch and facade.

This building is important for the history of Krupanj as the only one undamaged after the fire in the town on October 21, 1941, and then it was owned by the Austrian Franz Ziegler. After the end of the Second World War, the building changed its purpose, it was a pharmacy, a library, and in the end it remained a residential building. Today it is not in great condition, and it looks abandoned and neglected.

No entry is allowed to the building.

This project was supported by the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Serbia.