The act of reverence commemorated the anniversary of the death of Gregor Johann Mendel

6 Jan 2022 Tereza Fojtová

Today, representatives of the Region, Town Hall, Masaryk University, together with the Augustinians and other influential personalities, commemorated the 138th anniversary of the death of the discoverer of the fundamental laws of inheritance by a reverential act at the grave of Gregor Johann Mendel at the Brno Central Cemetery. This gathering was part of the events on the 200th anniversary of the birth of this humble genius, who was born on July 20, 1822, into a German-speaking family in Hynčice.

However, a significant part of Mendel's career is connected with Brno, where he came in 1843 when at the age of twenty-one, he entered the Augustinian Abbey and adopted the religious name, Gregor. Thanks to the then Abbot Napp, he went to study in Vienna, where he received an education in exact sciences, which was crucial for his later experiments with peas and other plants.

He devoted himself to experiments for nine years. Three laws, now known as Mendel's Laws, emerged from his research findings. He presented the results of his experiments as early as 1865, but the response to his work was minimal. He was not recognized until 1900, when his discoveries were confirmed, and Gregor Mendel was called the "father of genetics."

Several events are planned for this year to mark the 200th anniversary of the birth celebrations. For example, Mendel will perform at the EXPO in Dubai in March, then International Mendel Day in Brno, International DNA Day in April at the Mendelian Moravian Museum, or the International Genetic Conference in July. Those interested can also look forward to the new exposition of the Augustinian Museum, the exhibition of the original Mendel's manuscript, and in 2023 to the renewed original Mendel's Apiary.