Josef Ladislav Jandera

19.2.1776 – 27.7.1857 

Josef Ladislav Jandera was a mathematician, Catholic priest and a member of the Premonstratensian Order, who worked at the Charles Ferdinand University. He was the dean, and later rector, of its Faculty of Arts and was a leading educator in the field of mathematics and logic. Besides his university teaching career, he was also engaged in patriotic and educational activities in his hometown of Hořice, which he supported financially, and played a part in developing the local cultural life.

 

Josef Ladislav Jandera was born in Hořice, studied at the grammar school in Hradec Králové and, after graduating, enrolled to study philosophy in Prague. Besides philosophy, he also devoted himself to the study of mathematics and theology. In order to broaden his theological horizons and also because of his strong religious convictions he decided to join the Premonstratensian Monastery in Strahov, Prague, where he became a priest at the age of 26 and took the name Ladislav. His friend Bernard Bolzano, who would also later go on to be a renowned mathematician, joined alongside him. However, he had not left the university for good. He spent more and more time studying mathematics and became the assistant to Professor Stanislav Vydra, a prominent mathematician, theologian and national revivalist. Due to Vydra's ailing health (he suddenly went blind), Jandera became his substitute and in 1804 was appointed professor of mathematics. He then spent the next 50 years teaching at what was then the Faculty of Arts and published several works, the most famous of which is Prima calculi exponentialis elementa nova. He was twice appointed dean of the faculty and in 1828 was also appointed rector. In his home town of Hořice he donated an annual sum of 200 gold pieces to preserve the local chronicle and did everything he could to provide the municipality with his financial and organisational support. His teaching work won him several awards, including the Order of Franz Joseph. He primarily taught logic and mathematics to first-year general studies students and his pupils also included figures such as Karel Hynek Mácha and Karel Jaromír Erben.

 

References

OTAVOVÁ, M.: Ladislav Jandera – současník Bernarda Bolzana. 30. mezinárodní konference historie matematiky. Jevíčko 21. 8. – 25. 8. 2009. Praha 2009, str. 164–166.

 

OTAVOVÁ, M.: Ladislav Jandera a pěstování početní zdatnosti na pražské univerzitě. 31. mezinárodní konference historie matematiky. Valašské Meziříčí 18. 8 – 22. 8. 2010. Praha 2010, str. 199–202.

 

Národopisný sborník okresu hořického, Hořice 1895.

 

TOMÍČKOVÁ, O.; BUKAČ, V.: Hořice odedávna dodneška, Hořice 2008.

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