A Journey Through Aristocratic Natural Science

The Enlightenment Roots of Contemporary Science in the Czech Lands

Author: Lenka Ovčáčková

Ilustrations: Kristýna Adámek Mlynaříková

Audio/Voice: Gabriel Andrews

This trail, the points of which cover a large part of Bohemia and Moravia, presents prominent aristocratic figures who, from the middle of the 18th to the mid- 19th century, not only had a significant impact on the development of the natural sciences, but also helped to shape the country’s institutional scientific background. The diversity of their approaches and activities, from founding natural science collections through to the discovery of broad scientific contexts, reflects the social and historical context linked to the late Enlightenment period, as well as with the era of natural philosophy. The trail can be done in stages by car over 3–4 days or spread across the whole year.

Sources and literature: see the original Czech version

Review: Karolína Pauknerová

English version: Lucie Nováková, Magdalena Pehalová, Alex Aylward

Project: Ministry of Culture Czech Republic, NAKI II DG18P02OVV065

Researcher: Faculty of Science, Charles University / Live Map

Production: Science IN, s.r.o.

Sound: Bystrouška Studio of Sound