The history of the Alzheimer's Institute

On June 14th 1865 a Committee for the hospital erection was established. The hospital was intended for care over ill women from region of Scinawa, Wolow, Lubin and Legnica.

The Women's Union, created on December 1st 1865, organized necessary means for a building purchase and its reconstruction. The first patients were admitted on August 3rd 1865: 14  Prussian and Austrian soldiers. After their discharge from the hospital, "the Bethanien" was converted into a transitory cholera field hospital due to eruption of the cholera epidemic which after 14 days took heavy toll of 83 lives. Not until October 10th 1866 the facility could be passed to fulfill its primary goals.

There was a gala inauguration of the Hospital opening on November 6th 1866. In 1869 "the Bethanien" received rights of a civil entity. The first legacy received by the hospital - to the amount of 2000 Thlr. - came from a master brewer, Mr. Weberbauer,

During the next years the hospital received few legacies and a big benefit that altogether enabled to renovate the building to build a new extension. The hospital, which in the beginning had been a small facility with only one diacon and one nurse, became a modern medical center with 70 beds at its disposal and, until 1931, managed by 9 diacons comming from "Bethanien" in Wroclaw.

The last Head of Ward was Dr. Georg Schievelbein. During the World War II the building was reserve military hospital.

In 1950 the hospital's building was intended for National Orphanage, which was active untill 1999.

On December 20th 2001 the Orphanage's building became a property of Lubin District and, next, passed notarially to Medical University of Wroclaw in order to create an institute for dementia-related diseases.

In November 2002 Alzheimer Foundation was established in Wroclaw - it received legal entity on November 9th, 2004. On of the Foundation goals was accumulating funds for opening the Alzheimer's Institute in Scinawa.

In 2004 Medical University of Wroclaw prepared an application called "Establishing Research Institute for Dementia-Related Diseases in Scinawa". It was co-funded by European Union and Polsih Government.

On December 12 2006 invited guests (among them: the Rector of Medical Univeristy of Wroclaw) participated in a grand symbolic opening of the Alzheimer's Insitute renovation.