Institute of Contemporary History

Bohuslav Raýman (1852-1910) was a Czech chemist, popular science writer and a foremost organizer of the linguistically Czech science at the turn of the 19th century. The monograph deals with both professional and personal aspects of his personality. Raýman studied with the leading European chemists F. A. Kekulé, Ch. A. Wurtz and Ch. Friedel in Bonn and Paris. In Prague he became dozent at the Czech Technical University (1878), then professor of organic chemistry at the Czech University (1890, 1897). His scientific research and university lectures encompassed organic chemistry, biochemistry and physical chemistry. As organizer of science he held leading positions in the Society of Czech Chemists, the Czech Academy of Sciences and Arts and other institutions and edited several professional and popular journals.  His contacts included not only top notch Czech scientists and artists, but also scholars from several European countries and India. Among his important popularizing activities belong restoration of the Živa journal and numerous articles in Otto’s Encyclopaedia. The monograph presents not only new findings on Raýman’s life and work but also reflects his efforts to link up science and culture in the Czech society, eradicate nationalism and provinciality from the Czech science and integrate Czech science and culture  into international scientific currents.

Štrbáňová, Soňa. Bohuslav Raýman: vědec, vlastenec a Evropan. Praha: Národohospodářský ústav Josefa Hlávky, 2019. 297 s. Studie Národohospodářskkého ústav Josefa Hlávky; 1/2019. ISBN 978-80-88018-23-0.