The history of Filantropia Hospital begins in 1811 and is closely connected to the name of Dr. Constantin Caracas. Originally a Macedonian Romanian and a graduate of the University of Vienna, Dr. Caracas returned to Bucharest, where he started practicing medicine alongside his father, Dr. Dimitrie Caracas. Thanks to the experience acquired abroad and the medical needs he witnessed in the Capital, he became deeply involved in public health issues. 

The beginnings of Filantropia maternity hospital and the vision of Dr. Constantin Caracas

As the official physician of Bucharest, Dr. Constantin Caracas initiated and organized the construction of Filantropia Hospital, which would become chronologically the third hospital in the city after Colțea and Pantelimon. Initially, the institution bore the name Mavrogheni Hospital or the Hospital of Love for People, later known as Filantropia — a name symbolizing its humanitarian mission.

Dr. Caracas proposed to the Great Logothete Grigore Băleanu, the chief of Bucharest police at that time, the opening of a public subscription to found a hospital intended to “care for so many sick people without means, pledging that I, too, will treat them free of charge all my life.”

The public subscription he requested gathered significant supporters: Grigore Băleanu with funds, construction materials, and land near the Mavrogheni fountain, Ban Radu Golescu, Logothete Gheorghe Golescu, Lady Safta Brâncoveanu, Vornic Nicolae Văcărescu, and General Kutuzov. 

In 1813, construction of the hospital began on its current site, initiated through a decree issued by Prince Gheorghe Caragea. At that time, Filantropia Hospital represented a modern establishment, built through public contributions and meant to “receive patients of both sexes, without any distinction of religion, race, nationality, or condition,” and free of charge.

Development of the hospital and the foundations of Romanian obstetrics

Between 1881 and 1883, the Civil Hospitals Administration built a new maternity building within the Filantropia courtyard, with a capacity of 120 beds. In 1891, another building was added to house a mechanical laundry used by all hospitals in the city. Only a year later, in 1892, electric lighting was introduced into the hospital, marking another step toward modernization. In 1898, Pavilion B was constructed, also known as the Protopopescu Sanatorium.

Filantropia Maternity Hospital can be considered the cradle of Romanian obstetrics. Alongside the maternity functioned the School of Midwives, an educational center essential for training medical personnel specialized in childbirth. Over time, Filantropia became the workplace of physicians who shaped the history of obstetrics in Romania. 

One of the first was Dr. Ștefan Capșa, a graduate of the Faculty of Medicine in Vienna. He led the obstetrics department at Filantropia until 1885, the year of his passing. Dr. Capșa introduced the clinical observation sheet and carried out the first medical statistics. He also had the merit of organizing university-level obstetrical education in Romania.

He was succeeded by Professor Dumitru Drăghiescu, who managed the obstetrical clinic until 1912. Drăghiescu introduced asepsis and antisepsis techniques, significantly reducing the incidence of puerperal infections. 

During 1910–1911, Dr. Zaharescu-Karaman served as a substitute professor of obstetrical theory. In 1912, Professor N. Gheorghiu took over the department, leading it until 1937. A graduate of the Faculty of Medicine in Paris and former intern of professors Tarnier, Pozzi, and Budin, he introduced a scientific spirit and exemplary organization at Filantropia. 

Under his leadership, the name of the institution was changed to the Filantropia Institute of Obstetrics. Professor Gheorghiu founded a medical school, introduced surgery into obstetrics, established the Journal of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Puericulture, and organized the first Romanian congresses of obstetrics and gynecology. Gynaecology entered the curriculum of the Faculty of Medicine in Bucharest relatively late, in 1898, with the first professor being George Assaky.

In 1917, Dr. Constantin Daniel was appointed docent in gynecological clinic and began offering free gynecology courses at Filantropia. Only in 1920 was the gynecology clinic officially established, with Professor C. Daniel becoming the first head of the Romanian gynecological school.

Modernization, leadership, and prestigious medical contributions

In 1938, changes to the Education Law merged obstetrics and gynecology into three main clinics: Filantropia, Colțea, and CFR Steaua. Between 1942 and 1952, the Filantropia Clinic was led by Professor Dumitru Săvulescu. 

In 1952, Professor Eugen Aburel assumed leadership. A graduate of the Faculty of Medicine in Iași, he specialized in obstetrics and gynecology in Paris, working in the services of professors Brindeau and Le Lorier. He conducted research in the Department of Physiology at the Sorbonne University and retired in 1969. 

Professor Aburel was a remarkable figure of Romanian obstetrics and gynecology, an honorary member of numerous international scientific societies. In 1968 he was elected corresponding member of the French Academy of Medicine. For his outstanding scientific merits, the French government awarded him the “Les Palmes Académiques” order in 1973. 

Among his notable contributions were studies on uterine innervation, the mechanism of labor pain, continuous epidural analgesia during labor, and cervicectomy in early-stage cervical cancer. He authored a monograph dedicated to genital tuberculosis, published by Masson Publishing House in Paris. After his retirement, Associate Professor Vlad Vasiliu briefly led the clinic.

Between 1970 and 1978, the head of the clinic was Associate Professor Dr. Traian Rebedea. From 1977 to 1990, the hospital director was Associate Professor Dr. Ion Lemnete, who also served as head of the clinic between 1978 and 1994. From 1990 to 1994, the hospital director was Dr. Șihota Ștefan.

Between 1994 and 2000 and then between 2004 and 2007, Associate Professor Dr. Pelinescu-Onciul served as head of the clinic (and hospital director between 1999 and 2000). He also coordinated the National Center for Complementary Studies for the subspecialization in Maternal-Fetal Medicine from 2005 to 2012.

In 2000, Associate Professor Gheorghe Peltecu was appointed head of the General Medicine Clinic. In 2002, Professor Peltecu became hospital director (a position he held until 2018) and continued the consolidation and modernization works—initiated by former director Dr. Mercuț Petru—with the support of the Ministry of Health and the Administration of Hospitals in Sector 1. These were the first major works carried out since the construction of the institution 122 years earlier.

Filantropia today: tradition, performance, and medical excellence

Today, the hospital has 206 beds and continues to preserve its traditional organizational structure. A modern maternal-fetal medicine department has been established, equipped with numerous high-performance ultrasound devices. The hospital hosts sustained and nationally recognized activity in oncological gynecological surgery, including the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer, as well as in gynecological laparoscopic surgery. 

The neonatology department has an intensive care unit capable of managing grade III and IV premature newborns. The university clinic operates with six academic staff members. Filantropia Clinical Hospital is classified as a Level III institution for obstetrics and gynecology.

Filantropia Hospital, “the creation of Dr. Constantin Caracas,” the first modern civil hospital in Romania, holds undeniable historical, architectural, and institutional value. Preserving, restoring, and integrating its old buildings into a modern architectural setting represents a civic act of reconnecting with the past.

On October 1st, 2013, the bicentennial of Filantropia Clinical Hospital was celebrated. With this medical institution began the history of Romanian obstetrics and gynecology, as it was the country’s first modern civil hospital. After more than 200 years of existence, Filantropia remains the most modern and high-performing public obstetrics and gynecology hospital in Romania — an institution with tradition, a strong present, and a promising future.

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