Royal Czech Society of Sciences

The Royal Czech Society of Sciences was established in 1784 to be the scientific center for Czech Crown lands. It was succeeded by the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences in 1952, and finally became what is known today as the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic in 1992.

History

The Society was founded by filologist Josef Dobrovský, historian Gelasius Dobner and mathematician and the founder of Prague University Observatory, Joseph Stepling. Later it was headed by historian František Palacký.

As early as 1861-1863 Jan Evangelista Purkyně proposed in his treatise Academia the establishment of an autonomous non-university scientific institution associating research institutes representing the main fields of the science of that time. This idea of an institution engaged in interdisciplinary research corresponds to the concept and structure of the present Academy of Sciences.

By the end of the 19th century, language-differentiated scientific institutions arose in this country: the Czech Academy of Science and the Arts (1890-1952, founding charter) and the Association for the Fostering of German Science, Arts and Literature in Bohemia (1891-1945). The Czech Academy of Science and the Arts was founded owing to the significant financial support from the Czech architect and builder, Josef Hlávka who became its first President. The aim of this institution was to promote the development of Czech science and literature and to support Czech arts. The most important work of this...
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