Royal Bohemian Society of Sciences
Formation | 1784 |
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Dissolved | 1952 |
Type | Learned society |
Headquarters | Prague, Kingdom of Bohemia, Habsburg Empire (now Czech Republic) |
Coordinates | 50°05′10″N 14°25′24″E / 50.0860844°N 14.4232033°E |
Region served | Lands of the Bohemian Crown, later Czechoslovakia |
Official language | Latin, German, Czech |
Royal Bohemian Society of Sciences (
History
The Society was founded by philologist
As early as 1861–1863 anatomist 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 Sciences and the Arts (Czech: Česká akademie věd a umění, 1890–1952) and the Association for the Fostering of German Science, Arts and Literature in Bohemia (German: Gesellschaft zur Förderung deutscher Wissenschaft, Kunst und Literatur in Böhmen, 1891–1945). Czech Academy of Science and the Arts was founded owing to the significant financial support from Czech architect, entrepreneur and philanthropist 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 Academy was its publication activities. Scholarships and financial support were also provided and smaller research units arose upon its initiative as well.
After the foundation of the independent
After the totalitarian regime came to power in Czechoslovakia in 1948, all scientific, non-university institutions and learned societies were dissolved and instead the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences was founded. In 1992 the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic was established by Act No. 283/1992.