Mendel´s Brno UVNITŘ BUNĚČNÉHO JÁDRA Augustinian monastery at Old Brno – formerly Queen´s monastery of Cistercian nuns, Mendlovo náměstí 1a Bishop´s Courtyard – centre of the learned Agricultural Society, Muzejní 1 Dietrichstein Palace – Hall of Fame of the Agricultural Society, founder of the museum, Zelný trh 8 Dietrichstein Palace, Zelný trh 8 Mendel´s grave at the Central Cemetery, Vídeňská 94-96 Mortgage Bank of the Moravian Margraviate, Joštova 8 Pavilion in Lužánky, Lidická 50 Philosophical Institute at St. Johns´, Minoritská 1 Prelature of St. Augustin Order, Mendlovo náměstí 1 Reduta, Zelný trh 4 Seat of the chapter – St. Peter and Paul Cathedral, Petrov 1 Secondary Technical School, Jánská 22 St. Anna Hospital, Pekařská 53/55 St. Thomas Augustinian monastery, Moravské náměstí Technical University, Komenského náměstí 2 Theological Institute at St. Michael´s, Dominikánské náměstí Town Court, Šilingrovo náměstí 2 Mendel was elected abbot of the Order of St. Augustine in 1868. He had to stop his favourite teaching of physics and natural history at the Technical Modern School in Brno. His last experiments with plant hybridization concerned hawkweed hybrids. Mendel published them in 1869. He carried on meteorological observations and treatment of meteorological data. Some of the meteorological devices were located directly in the prelature. He let a modern bee house constructed in the monastic garden behind the church. His interest in the wintering of bees led him to the construction of a special facility for wintering the hives in the slope behind the bee house. Abbot Mendel contributed to the problematic of the acclimation of tropical bees that he studied in the rooms of his prelate residence. His experiments with controlled mating of queen bees were original from the technical point of view but unsufficient to solve the problem. The Nature Research Society founded in 1860 through the transformation of the Natural History Section of the Agricultural Society had its seat in the building of the Technical Modern School. Mendel published all his surveys of meteorological observations in the journal of this society, presented there his theory on particular heredity in 1865 and published his revolutionary work a year later. His lecture on some hawkweed hybrids took also place at the Nature Research Society in 1869 and was published in its journal in 1870. Deep social changes due to Josephinian reforms strongly disintegrated the unity of the spiritual and profane world. Ecclesiastic orders that did not carry out any charitable or educational activity were abolished. The Brno Augustinians had to leave their St. Thomas monastery in 1871 and moved into the dilapidated monastery of the Cistercian nuns that had been dissolved. During his theological studies Mendel passed obligatory examinations in agriculture, pomology and viniculture at the Philosophical Institute in 1846. The institute was located in the Minorite monastery. Exhibitions took place in the Reduta theatre and in the pavilion of Lužánky. Especially flower exhibitions in Reduta were an important social event. Gregor Mendel died on 6 January 1884 at the age of 62. He was buried at the Central Cemetery as the first catholic priest on 9 January 1884. Burials at the Central Cemetery had started in September 1883. In 1817 the Moravian-Silesian Society for Development of Agriculture, Natural Sciences and Local History (in short: Agricultural Society) obtained the Bishop´s Courtyard for its museum that became the centre of the systematic scientific research, documentation and educational activities in Moravia. In 1848 Mendel assumed the post of chaplain at the Roman Catholic parish in Old Brno. Visits to the ill and dying provoked in him such dangerous states of anxiety that he had to be released from this duty. The beginnings of Mendel´s meteorological observations are connected to Dr. Olexík, senior doctor at St. Anna Hospital. In 1851 Mendel stood in for the ill professor Helcelet and taught natural history at the newly founded Technical University. Originally, the lectures took place in rented premises of town houses. After the fortification of the town had been pulled down the project of a new building of the Technical University was implemented at the today Komenský square (the then Elisabeth square). In 1870 Mendel became vice-president of the Nature Research Society that moved from the Technical Modern School in Jánská street 22 to the Town Court. The activities of the society in the Town Court were affected by the departure of eminent men of the glorious period of the Nature Research Society in which Mendel´s discovery belonged. Professor Alexander Zawadski died in 1868. Director of the Technical Modern School Josef Auspitz was appointed provincial school inspector. In 1876 Mendel was appointed vice-director and in 1881 director of the Mortgage Bank of the Moravian Margraviate seated then in rented premises in the building of the Moravian Diet. In that time the construction of its own building was prepared at the corner of the today Rooseveltova and Dvořákova street that was completed soon after Mendel´s death. In his abbot´s vow Mendel promised obedience to Brno bishop Antonín Ernst and his successors on the bishop´s seat. He pledged to support actively bishop´s decisions and to obey to the will of the chapter in his absence. Mendel´s predecessor in the abbot´s function, abbot Napp, had made the same vow. Mendel studied theology in 1844-48. The institute was situated next to the entrance to the Dominican monastery in Dominikánská street. Mendel took holy orders as soon as in the third year on 6 August 1847 and celebrated his first mass in the St. Michael´s church on 15 August 1847. Mendel was member of the jury awarding prizes to best exhibits. He announced rewards for grading up new varieties and sponsored them himself. On the recommendation of his physics teacher at the Philosophical Institute/Olomouc University Mendel decided to have ecclesiastic carrier at Brno Augustinians which delivered him from livelihood worries and enabled him to study. The monastery in Old Brno had vast gardens surrounded with a high wall. Mendel carried out his experiments with peas and other plants in the vegetable garden. He also carried out meteorological observations and apiarian research there. The main representatives of progressive efforts resulting in the creation of the Moravian Museum are pictured in reliefs in the entrance lobby of the Dietrichstein Palace, the building that became one of the museum premises. The pomological, vinicultural and horticultural section of the Agricultural Society organized regularly exhibitions of flowers, fruit and vegetables. These exhibitions took place in the Dietrichstein Palace. RIBOZOM