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The room displays documents about life and work of the academic professor, MUDr. Vojtech Alexander (May 30, 1857 – January 16, 1916). He was a famous Kežmarok native, doctor, the first radiographer in the area of Slovakia, the first lecturer and radiography professor in Hungary and the founder of a new field of science – radiology.
Since his medicine study´s graduation he began to study the impact of X-rays in the process of treatment. Doctor Alexnder even met W. K. Röntgen.
Doctor Alexander, being the first Slovak doctor, bought an X-ray machine made by „Reiniger Gebert und Schall Company“ from Erlangen, Germany thanks to the financial support of The Association of Spiš Physicians and Apothecaries. His first X-ray pictures were being taken by this machine.
The process of taking X-ray pictures had been improved during his work; firstly, he took pictures of plants, animals, later he undertook to take a picture of human body and its parts. In 1906 he carried out the first stereoscopic x-ray image thus laid the foundations of stereoscopic X-ray photography. Doctor Alexander worked as a doctor-surgeon in Kežmarok.
Moreover, he actively participated in social happening in the town. Thanks to his initiative the town electrification and canalisation was made, the town surroundings was afforested, he also found the so-called Kežmarský beautifying association and the branch of Hungarian workers´ handicapped and pension association. Thanks to Doctor Alexander´s initiative, though after his death, the hospital, today known as Doctor Vojtech Alexander´s Hospital (Nemocnica MUDr. Vojtecha Alexandra ), was built in the former Meese´s Hotel.
The Central X-ray Laboratory was established at Budapest Medical School in 1907. Doctor Alexander became its principal. In 1909 he was habilitated thus becoming an associated professor of radiology at Budapest Medical School where he also established the first department of radiology.
Doctor Alexander, being the first doctor in Slovakia exploring the progress of tuberculosis by using X-rays. On September 22, 1914 he was appointed the Professor of X-ray and Radiology Department by the Budapest Faculty. Results of hsi work were being published in more than 100 scientific works.
Doctor Alexander died in Budapest on January 16, 1916. His body was transported back to Kežmarok. Doctor Alexander and his family are buried at the historic cemetery in Kežmarok. Life and work of Doctor Alexander are documented by plentiful photographs and documents. Život a prácu MUDr. Alexandra dokumentuje bohatý fotografický a spisový materiál. The most precious piece of the collection is Doctor Alexander´s X-ray machine , the only preserved one in Slovakia. The first X-ray pictures of Doctor Alexander have been declared national cultural monuments by the then Ministry of Culture of the Czechslovak Republic in 1988. Some of them can be found in the collection of the Museum in Kežmarok.
