Our History

1964

Journal “Medicina e Historia”

The journal Medicina e Historia was created with the aim of disseminating the history of the health sciences among academics and professionals in the country. Over more than 50 years of publication, from 1964 to 2022, the journal featured contributions from some of the most renowned authors, such as Professors Pedro Laín Entralgo, Luis Sánchez Granjel, and Diego Ferrer, among many others.

1969

Documentation Center

Dr. Joan Uriach i Marsal decided to establish the Documentation Center for the History of the Health Sciences to contribute to the knowledge of this discipline and support professors, students, and professionals. To this end, he appointed physician and historian Josep Danon Bretos as director, who began a bibliographic collection that later became the library.

1970

“History of Medicine” Award

The Uriach Foundation 1838 History of Medicine Prize was created to support the dissemination and consolidation of this emerging discipline. Thanks to its connection with the journal Medicina e Historia, which published the award-winning works each year, greater visibility was achieved and scientific articles were facilitated. The first prize was awarded to Amparo Estellés Cortés for her work Medicine in the Social and Valencian Novels of Blasco Ibáñez.

1988

Constitution of the Uriach Foundation

Coinciding with the celebration of Uriach’s 150th anniversary, the Uriach Foundation was formally constituted before a notary and presented publicly on December 16, 1988, at the Círculo del Liceo in Barcelona. With the foundational aim of promoting the history of the health sciences, the Foundation officially began its activities with its first formal meeting on March 14, 1989, at the Uriach offices in Barcelona.

1988

First Board of Trustees

The first Board of Trustees of the Foundation was formed by the lifelong members Joan Uriach i Marsal and his sons Juan, Javier, Enrique, and Joaquim Uriach i Torelló. They were joined by two institutional trustees, Moisés Broggi Vallés and Joan Sabater Tobella, along with Joan Bladé, and two appointed trustees: Javier Forn Dalmau and Francisco García-Valdecasas Santamaría. Josep Maria Terribas Alamego served as secretary to the Board.

1989

First Publication

With the publication of Cajal y Barcelona by Professor Diego Ferrer, a series of nine books was launched under the title Historical Collection of the Health Sciences. From that point on, the Foundation continued to publish reference works such as Colectanea by Ramon Jordi, Història de la Facultat de Medicina de Barcelona by Jacint Corbella, and Santa Maria del Mar by Joan Domenge.

1991

“Health Sciences” Award

With the goal of contributing to scientific research, the Health Sciences Prize was created, a biennial award with a grant of 20 million pesetas (equivalent to €230,000), surpassed in value only by the Premio Planeta. The prize was awarded eight times, up to 2007, recognizing both leading researchers and reference institutions in areas such as immunology, obesity, and stress, among others.

2005

Archive

After more than 150 years of activity, the Uriach company had amassed an archival collection of great volume and historical, industrial, and artistic significance. To manage it, the Uriach Foundation Archive was created. Among its first holdings, the advertising and photography collections stood out. Later, audiovisuals, medicines, and a newspaper library, among others, were added.

2006

Website

Although the Foundation had an online presence since 1999 through Uriach’s corporate website, in 2006 it created its own dedicated site. With this platform, the Foundation opened itself to the world, offering free and open access to its important bibliographic catalogue and archival holdings, as well as information on its awards and publications.

2008

Concordia dels Apotecaris de Barcelona

To expand the historical collection and preserve a fundamental publication in the history of pharmacy in Spain, the Foundation acquired this almost unique work worldwide, thanks to the collaboration of pharmacist Ángel Martínez de Laguardia. Published in 1535, the treatise represents an agreement between apothecaries and physicians of the 16th century on the formulation and preparation of compound medicines, a turning point in the history of medicine and pharmacy.

2014

Exhibition at the Vila Casas Foundation

The exhibition The Art of Collecting, held at the Vila Casas Foundation in Barcelona, marked a milestone in the activities of the Uriach Foundation, broadening its horizons towards a more general audience. From then on, organizing exhibitions became a key activity for promoting the history of the health sciences, the benefits of natural health, and the historical-artistic heritage of the Uriach company.

2017

Uriach Gallery

The creation of the interpretation center “Uriach Gallery” aims to showcase the history of the company, the health industry, art, and Spanish society since 1838. This is achieved through the corporate historical archives, managed by the Foundation, which preserve collective memory and represent an act of corporate social responsibility.

2020

Uriach Chair of Nutraceuticals

The Uriach Chair of Nutraceuticals at Rovira i Virgili University was established in 2020 as the result of a collaboration agreement between the university and the Uriach Foundation. Its mission is to generate, disseminate, and transfer knowledge on nutraceuticals from professional, educational, and industrial perspectives. This mission takes shape through the creation of debate forums and collaborative activities for the development of this innovative field of study.

2022

MNACTEC Exhibition

The exhibition organized by the Uriach Foundation at the Museu de la Ciència i de la Tècnica de Catalunya, entitled “Medicines in Catalonia: Business, Science and Innovation for Health,” offers a journey from the earliest medicines in pre-industrial Catalonia to the present day. A time in which the pharmaceutical industry and natural consumer healthcare coexist as two complementary models for people’s health and well-being.

2023

Uriach Virtual Experience

“Uriach Virtual Experience” is an application created by the Uriach Foundation to preserve and promote the history of Uriach through an immersive virtual reality experience. Users can explore milestones and places such as the Uriach family’s first drugstore or its first laboratory in Barcelona, as well as learn about the company’s current and future challenges.

2024

Current Board of Trustees

The current Board of Trustees is composed of the life trustees Joan Uriach i Marsal and his five children: Juan, Javier, Enrique, Marta, and Joaquim Uriach i Torelló. It also includes three appointed trustees: Javier Navarro Olivella (who also serves as secretary), Alicia Espriu Calderón, and Josep Antoni Bombí Latorre. A modern and proactive Board of Trustees committed to the objectives of the Foundation.

2025

Uriach Friends

An initiative created and organized by the Uriach Foundation with the aim of bringing together former Uriach employees to share experiences, celebrate common achievements, and create new memories. In such a changing and globalized world, initiatives like this become spaces for pause, where reflecting on the past helps us continue building the future.