Prof. Dr. Nicolae Minovici
Prof. Dr. Nicolae Minovici (1868 - 1941) was one of the essential figures of Romanian forensic medicine
Ion Puican, 17.05.2026, 14:00
Prof. Dr. Nicolae Minovici was born in Râmnicu Sărat (central Romania), and grew up in a large family, marked by an interest in science. He studied in Bucharest. Initially, he was attracted to the fine arts, but later turned to medicine, where he would build a remarkable career. He also studied abroad, in Berlin and Paris, coming into contact with great experts of the time. His medical career is defined by pioneering contributions in the field of forensic medicine. In 1898, he became a doctor of medicine with his doctoral thesis on tattoos (“Tattoos in Romania”), and later published the famous “A Study of Hanging”, a unique piece of research for the era. Dr. Minovici’s studies were discussed by the museographer at the Bucharest City Museum (MMB) Mădălina Manolache:
Mădălina Manolache: “Among the most famous studies that Minovici published, we can first of all list his doctoral work, called at the time “Tattoos in Romania”, published in 1898, as well as “A Study on Hanging”, published in 1905. In the work “Tattoos in Romania”, Minovici tried to create a brief history of tattoos from an ethnographic point of view, his interest being mainly in the medico-legal aspect. … The conclusions that Nicolae Minovici reached thanks to his study, which he undertook in several penitentiaries in the country, as well as within the Anthropometry Service in Bucharest, were the following: tattoos are not a common practice among Romanians, they are a borrowed fashion, and this word actually characterizes the custom of tattooing, a fashion. … Is the tattoo a mark of crime? And Minovici came to dismantle this myth at a very early stage. It is worth noting that his study is the first of its kind in Romania, and he participates in synchronism in scientific research around the world. Minovici comes to show that the tattoo is not a mark of crime. … In the “A Study on Hanging”, Dr. Nicolae Minovici carried out the first experimental medical work in the field in the world. In fact, he hanged himself in an assisted manner within the Forensic Institute, so never alone, in order to understand the symptoms that an individual experiences in such moments…”
Nicolae Minovici was also an innovator in the field of emergency services. In 1906, he founded the first Rescue Society in the Balkans, and in 1934 he laid the foundations of the first emergency hospital with a permanent program in Romania. He also had an important academic and administrative activity, contributing to the development of forensic medicine in Cluj, and actively involved in the modernization of Bucharest, including as district mayor. Mădălina Manolache talks to us about the doctor’s innovations for the social system of the time:
Mădălina Manolache: “Perhaps one of the most important works left to us by the medical examiner is in contradiction with his specialization, and I am referring here to the “Rescue Society”, the first ambulance in our country that circulated on the streets of Bucharest in the summer of 1906. It is important that it was one of the first enterprises of its kind, not only in our country, but in the whole of Europe. Which shows us how modernizing Nicolae Minovici’s act was. Funnily enough, the first ambulance was a horse-drawn carriage, which came to the aid of transporting the wounded and very often, the ambulance staff could also provide first aid if requested. Only after the First World War did Nicolae Minovici manage to introduce automobiles into the rescue service, in which patients could be transported both lying down and sitting. Some automobiles could even accommodate twelve people. The second institution that Nicolae Minovici created was the “Emergency Hospital”. It was officially opened in 1934, being attached to the building of the Rescue Society. At the same time, at the beginning of the 20th century, the forensic doctor Nicolae Minovici was tasked with a pressing problem for the people of Bucharest, namely begging and vagrancy. They represented a danger to the entire society, generating many crimes. What Dr. Minovici proposes to combat these social scourges is a social assistance program based on the principle of work. Every beggar, every vagrant was gathered from the streets of Bucharest and subjected to an analysis. They tried to observe whether the beggars had the capacity to work first and foremost, and in this case they were trained or sent to various shops, to various institutions where they could practice their skills. During these investigations, many fake beggars were discovered, many who feigned disabilities and tried to live their lives on the mercy of the public. Among them, unfortunately, were also many abandoned children, who were taught from an early age to commit all kinds of crimes. And this social assistance program helped to reduce recidivism and crime. Unfortunately, it had a very short period of operation. For five years, Minovici tried very hard, mainly from his own funds, to complete this social work.”
Beyond medicine, Dr. Nicolae Minovici remained close to art throughout his life, being a passionate collector of folk art. He founded the “Prof. Dr. Nicolae Minovici” National Art Museum, which he later donated to the city of Bucharest, along with his entire fortune. Nicolae Minovici remains an emblematic personality, who contributed decisively to the modernization of medicine and the development of public services in Romania.
(bill&Calin)
