Archives of Paper’s Abstracts
Dějiny věd a techniky, No. 3, Vol. XXXIV (2001)
/01:3:169/
Jan HORSKÝ
MODERN SCIENCE, ROSICRUCIAN THINKING AND CZECH EVANGELICS. REMARKS ON THE CZECH ISSUE OF FRANCES A. YATES’ BOOK
(Moderní věda, rosenkruciánské myšlení a čeští evangelíci. Několik poznámek k českému vydání knihy Frances A. Yatesové )
Reflection was inspired by the Czech issue of Yates’ “The Rosicrucian Enlightenment”. The book has already been criticized because of inaccuracy in conception of the 1st quarter of the 18th century Czech religious and political history. It is possible to agree with Yates’ basic thesis that the Rosicrucian ideas participated in the initiation of modern science birth. On the other hand there are objections to her book from the point of view of the history of science and religious thinking: (1.) Rosicrucian ideas may look like unified, homogenous stream in the history of religion but they are more only a part of a broader intellectual style in the history of science, influenced by neo-platonism, hermetism, cabbala and alchemy. One element of the style is animistic (or vitalistic, too) conception of nature. This could be find not only at Jan Amos Comenius (whom Yates classified among Rosicrucians) but also at Johannes Kepler (according to Yates he is outside of the Rosicrucian movement). (2.) Yates considers that the Czech Evangelic environment in the 2nd half of the 15th century and in the beginning of the 17th century was sensitive to alchemic, hermetic and cabbalistic ideas, i. e. to Rosicrucian ideas either as the case might be. But her opinion could not be supported by the Czech historical research. Some affinity of the Czech radical reformation to given ideas and streams might be find only one or two generations later than Yates supposes. Nevertheless, its is already generation of the Czech Evangelic exile (Comenius, Stolcius) publishing out of the Czech environment.
/01:2:185/
Zdeněk KOLEŠKA
JAN ROUBAL, FAMOUS PERSONALITY IN THE HISTORY OF CZECHSLOVAK ENTOMOLOGY
(Jan Roubal, významná osobnost v historii československé entomologické vědy)
The article informs of life and work of Czech scientist, secondary school teacher, living in 1880-1971. His profile goes from his junior age when as a schoolboy he started to study insect. He began with research of a rule of beetles (Coleoptera), its systematization and faunology that he dealt with till his 70s. From 1950 he started to study a rule Heteroptera. Results of his work performed in number of places in the Czech lands and Slovakia and in different natural biotopes were issued in many both Czech and foreign special journals. Roubal´s main life work “Catalogue of Coleopter in Slovakia and Subkarpatian Ukraine” was published in three volumes from 1930 to 1941.
Roubal´s name became a term and symbol of love of nature among Czechoslovak entomologists.
/01:3:205/
Gustav NOVOTNÝ
HISTORY OF CZECHOSLOVAK FORESTS-CONTRIBUTION OF JOSEF NOZICKA
(Dějiny našich lesů - přínos Josefa Nožičky)
Archivist and historian J. Nožička (born 5. 3. 1906, died 15. 8. 1972) studied history at Charles University in Prague, strongly influenced by Prof. Josef Pekař. Even during his studies he worked in the Czechoslovak State Archives of Agriculture in Prague, and was employed here continuously so that he made a career from an assistant-archivist (1931) to a high official in ministry. In 1934 he graduated from the State Archival School. Nevertheless, in 1951 he was fired during “purges” after February 1948, and though he would have had to go to work in a factory, he succeeded to be employed in the Research Institute of Forest Economy in Zbraslav-Strnady, in the department for the history of woods, till 1970. During these 20 years he wrote many special studies (up to 270 works), mostly from the economical history and history of agriculture, especially of forests, the most important probably being From the Past of Silesian Forests and Survey of the Development of our Forests. He published also many studies and research surveys in special periodicals.
© M. Barvík 2004