Czech Learning Community and Resources

The Czech Republic has a long history of inventions and discoveries that have had a lasting impact on the world. From contact lenses and lightning rod to blood groups, the Czech Republic has made significant contributions to science and technology.

The first widespread invention we can highlight from the Czech Republic is Chlumsky’s disinfectant solution, which was developed in 1847 by Dr. Jan Chlumsky. This solution is still used today in hospitals and medical facilities around the world for sterilization purposes.

Adéla Kochanovská was a Czech nuclear physicist who made significant contributions to the field of X-ray structural analysis and X-ray crystallography in the 1940s and 1950s. She was one of the first scientists to use X-rays to study the structure of matter, which allowed her to make groundbreaking discoveries about atomic structure. Her work laid the foundation for modern radiography and helped pave the way for further advances in nuclear physics.

The lightning rod was invented by Benjamin Franklin in 1752, but it was first used in Europe by Czech physicist František Křižík in 1882. This invention helped protect buildings from lightning strikes and is still used today.

Helena Rašková was a Czech pharmacologist who made significant contributions to the field of pharmacology. She was interested in the topics of drug metabolism, drug interactions, and pharmacokinetics. Her research focused on understanding how drugs interact with the body and how they are metabolised by the liver. She also studied the effects of drugs on different organs and tissues.

The first contact lenses were invented by Czech chemist Otto Wichterle in 1959. He developed the first soft hydrogel contact lenses, which revolutionised the field of optometry and allowed people with vision problems to wear comfortable contact lenses.

In 1900, Austrian-born Czech physician Karl Landsteiner discovered the three main human blood groups: A, B, and O. This discovery was a major breakthrough in medicine as it enabled doctors to treat their patients based on the different blood groups.

Gerty Cori was a Czech-American doctor and biochemist of Jewish origin who made significant contributions to the field of medicine. In 1947, she became the first woman in the world to win the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for her work on carbohydrate metabolism. Her research focused on understanding how carbohydrates are broken down and used by cells for energy production. She also discovered an enzyme that plays a key role in this process, which is now known as Cori esterase.

Another famous Czech invention is the front car fender, which was invented by František Křižík in 1897. This invention revolutionised car design and safety, as it allowed cars to be more aerodynamic and protected passengers from flying debris.

An important invention from Czech Republic is also the ship propeller, which was invented by Josef Ressel in 1827. This invention allowed ships to move faster than ever before and revolutionised maritime transportation.

Eva Syková is a Czech woman neuroscientist who is best known for her research on the effects of drugs on the brain and nervous system. Her work has helped to improve treatments for neurological disorders such as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, and epilepsy. She has also studied the effects of stress on the brain and how it can affect behaviour.

Further notable invention is polarography, which was developed by Czech chemist Jaroslav Heyrovský in 1922. This invention revolutionised electrochemical analysis and has been used to measure the concentration of ions in solutions.

Blanka Říhová is a Czech immunologist who was born on October 21, 1942 and has dedicated her life to researching and developing targeted drug delivery methods for cancer. Her research has been instrumental in advancing the understanding of how drugs can be used to treat cancer more effectively. She is also credited with developing new methods for delivering drugs directly to tumor cells, which have improved the efficacy of treatments. Her work has helped improve the lives of countless people suffering from cancer around the world.

Nano technology is a revolutionary invention that has been developed in the Czech Republic. It is a form of technology that works on the nanoscale, which means it deals with objects and materials that are extremely small. This technology has been used to create new materials, devices, and systems with unique properties and capabilities. Nano technology has the potential to revolutionise many industries, from medicine to energy production.

Last but not least, the Czech Republic gave to the world a silon polyamide thread, which was invented by František Běhounek in 1937. This thread is used for making contact lenses and blood groups tests.

We would like to mention Dr Antonín Holý who was a Czech scientist who made significant contributions to the field of medicine. He is best known for his invention of the drug Viread, which is used to treat HIV. He also developed more than 200 patents among which are drugs for cure of hepatitis B or herpes. His work revolutionised the treatment of these diseases, making it possible for people to live longer and healthier lives. His inventions have saved millions of lives around the world and have been hailed as some of the most important medical breakthroughs in recent history.

The list is much longer, but we have a limited space. If you know any other inventions or discoveries that are missing, please let us know in our forum here.

If you want to know the famous people who changed the world, read our blog here.

For more information about the Czech Republic in general, join our forum Living abroad here.

Have you already come accross interesting facts about the country or Czech culture and want to learn the language, visit our pages with the learning resources here.

I am looking forward to your comments or replies, 

Martin (OLS Community Manager)