Cradle of Natural Sciences

Prague with its environs has been lent extraordinary significance in the framework of the whole country by its status of centre of education, culture and development of science in the so-called Lands of the Bohemian Crown and subsequently Czechoslovakia. The beginnings of development of natural sciences in modern concept fall to the second half of the 18th century. In accordance with the enlightened endeavour to know their own country Tadeáš Haenke and J. T. Lindacker dabbled in botany. The first attempts at the description of Bohemian flora were brought to a successful end by brothers Presl in their work “Flora Čechica - Kwětena česká” (1819). The moving force of natural science research was the Learned Society, founded in 1770 and established in 1785 as the Royal Bohemian Society of Sciences which started issuing its periodicals publishing new achievements of science in 1775.

A veritable milestone which opened a new phase of development of natural sciences was the foundation of the Museum of the Kingdom of Bohemia in 1818 the first president and patron of which was Caspar count Sternberk. Also the Society of the Patriotic Museum in Bohemia originated which started issuing a periodical appearing still at present as the Journal of National Museum (Časopis Národního muzea). Next to Latin and German also Czech was taking its first diffident steps in scientific terminology. An example is “Ssawectwo” (The Mammals) by J. S. Presl of 1834.

The period of real prosperity of Czech science, however, did not start until the middle of the 19 century. In 1849 J. E. Purkyně, then already a famous scientists, started lecturing at Prague University and founded the periodical “Živa” soon afterwards (1853). In 1865 the first Club of Natural Sciences originated. In 1863 the founder of modern Czech geology, Jan Krejčí, started lecturing in Czech at the Polytechnical Institue. In 1881 he was appointed professor at the restored Czech Charles-Ferdinand University, where three more Czech professors - Antonín Frič, Emanuel Bořický and Ladislav Čelakovský - were appointed in 1872. In 1852 the first key to the determination of flora of Czech and adjacent lands was published by D. Sloboda. New directions in botanical taxonomy were outlined by the outstanding florist Filip Maxmilian Opiz (1787 - 1858) who estabished at that time unique Institue for the Exchange of Herbarium Items. His concept of minor elementary species was several decades ahead of his time. The correctness of his accurate observations was confirmed only by the new biosystematic methods and approaches almost one century later. The whole climate of the period can be illustrated by the following examples.

With its extent the magnificent paleontological work of Joachim Barrande on fossil fauna of Central Bohemian Paleozoic has remained unique on the world scale until the present day. In the same period A. Frič worked not only as zoologist and paleontologist, but also as organizer of field research by means of portable reserch stations located on the banks of waters, i.a. also the Počernice Pond. Frič knew how to rouse interest of young adepts of natural sciences and facilitate their beginnings. His paleontological and geological work probably has exceeded his contributions to the field of zoology, although its extent is remarkable even in this field. Of no smaller importance is also his popularization work, aprticularly the popularly written “Malá geologie” (Minor Geology) of 1869.

Let us remember also František and Otakar Nickerl, father and son, both doctors of medicine who, however, devoted their life to natural sciences, particularly entomology. Both became professors at the Prague Polytechnic, the son in zoology, botany and merchandise technology, and bequeathed their entomological collections as well as a substantial sum of money to the National Museum. Their merits are recorded by right by a memorial tablet on the rock in Břežanský Důl near Závist, similarly as the tablet on the limestone rock face between Zlíchov and Chuchle, called the Barandov Rock at present, recalls the name of J.B. Barrande.

The Technical University, called Polytechnical Institue at that time, participated in the development of natural sciences at the same rate as the University and the Museum, situated since 1890 in its new building at the top of the Wenceslas Square. J. Krejčí was followed by Otomar Novák and Otakar Feistmantel, both outstanding scholars of the Proterozoic. After O. Feistmantel’s premature death MUDr. Alfred Slavík (1847 - 1907) started lecturing in 1891, was appointed ordinary professor in 1894 and taught until his death. Although a doctor of medicine by education, who had practiced for several years, he wrote outstanding zoological works, such as “Monograph of Czech Molluscs of Terrestrial and Fresh Water Species” (1868), and paleontological works, founded the first pedological laboratory and worked extensively as practical geologist assessing various technical projects, such as Prague water supply, thus laying the foundations to subsequent engineering geology. His professional activities show the broad scope of knowledge and activities of most contemporary scientists. It was the time when it was still possible for not only most natural scientists, but also doctors and number of other specialists in various technical branches to meet and know one another. The diverse nature of Prague and its nearest environs provided them with a rich selection of the most varied natural phenomena and indubitably was a school which did a great deal for the development of natural sciences in our lands.

This state lasted until the First World War. The milestone was the origin of independent Czechoslovak Republic which initiated a further boom of all branches of science and particularly their differentiation and the ever increasing specialization of scientists, enhanced by the steeply increasing number of scientific achievements and methodological approaches. New institutions originated, such as the State Geological Institute and the Faculty of Natural Sciences at the University. Geobotany and engineering geology originated as separate disciplines similarly as nature protection. Prague became the centre of international scientific events, often combined with excursions and visits of natural objects within the city and its nearest environs.

The number of professors of the Faculty of Natural Science included such well-known scientists and pedagogues as František Slavík, Radim Kettner, Julius Komárek or Karel Domin, who founded new schools in their respective specializations and educated a number of new specialists. The diverse natural environment acquired even greater significance in the course of the Second World War. The movement of persons in the then Protectorate was resticted considerably and the proximity of natural environment in Prague resulted in intensive scientific research and contributed to the formation of a new generation of natural scientists. It is no wonder, therefore, that after the termination of the Second World War there was another boom of natural sciences following similar development on the world scale.

Enormous increase of knowledge, new methods and practical needs necessitated ever greater specialization, as a result of which natural scientists no longer formed the closely knit community characteristic of the end of last century. Geosciences separated from biological sciences, the gap between botany and zoology increased and Prague nature was used for scientific research and international representation in an ever increasing extent. Some values of Prague nature attained world renown - a fact testified to best by the stratigraphy of Silurian and Devonian, investigated continuously in ever growing detail since the time of Barrande, as a result of which it can serve as a model and support for even remote regions. The names of individual stages were derived from the sites in Prague are, as it is testified to by the terms of Přídolí, Lochkov, Prague, Zlíchov or Dalej stages.

Also some phytocoenoses were described in Prague. The profiles in claypits of brickworks and gravelpits provided significant supports to polyglacial system of the Quaternary. The State protection of nature was organized and a network of protected areas has originated in Prague which few metropoles can boast with. Also the Protected Landscape Area of Bohemian Karst reaches to Prague area. Nature and environmental protection has become a specialization of University studies. It is beyond doubt that the development of natural sciences in Prague has been favourably influenced and stimulated from the very beginning by the wealth and diversity of Prague nature which has acquired, apart from its scientific significance, also great importance for the history of natural sciences in the Czech Republic.

Rudolf Keller's painting from 1846 is not only a work of art, but also an interesting testimony to the appearance of the protected areas of Chuchle Grove and Barrandov Rocks 150 years ago. The grove has preserved its appearance almost without any change, only the church has been concealed by growing vegetation. The Barrandov Rock formed an excellent geological profile at that time (ranging from the uppermost Ordovician to the lowermost Devonian) covered with rich xerothermal vegetation. At present the cover consists of unsuitable false acacia the planting of which has reduced considerably the scientific and aesthetic values of the area. The picture is one of the oldest paintings inspired by the landscape in the immediate proximity of Prague.

The tablet documenting scientific research in the Požáry (NPP).

Joachim Barrande

The Czech endemic beetle Cylindromorphus bohemicus of the family Buprestidae was described in Troja in 1993.

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