Jan Nepomuk Woldřich went to elementary school in Zdíkov, then to German school in Vimperk for a year and to Piarist high school in České Budějovice. After graduating in natural sciences from the University of Vienna Woldřich worked as a pedagogue in Slovakia and in Austria. In 1893 he was appointed professor of geology and palaeontology at the Charles-Ferdinand University in Prague, where he worked until 1905. His native region, the foothills of Šumava, became the site of Woldřich`s geological and palaeontological research. He explored for example the geological bedrock of the Vimperk area, the Zdíkov area and he discovered valuable palaeontological findings of Pleistocene fauna in Sudslavice near Vimperk between 1879 and 1882. Woldřich also paid great attention to archaeology and he mapped in detail the localities of prehistoric settlements and hillforts around Volyně, Vlachovo Březí, Vimperk, Strakonice, Písek, Protivín, Ražice, Netolice, Vodňany, Týn nad Vltavou or České Budějovice among others.
Woldřich visited his native village repeatedly and supported its development. He was for example the co-founder of the local Reading Club and in 1882 he supported the opening and construction of a local elementary school. The cottage where he was born burned down in 1869 and a memorial plaque commemorating his birth was placed in the gable of the building that was newly built on the site. The ceremonial unveiling of the plaque, during which Woldřich`s scientific and political activities were commemorated, took place on September 16 1911. The celebratory speech was given by schoolmaster Josef Fux.
Mandák, F.: Čtení o minulosti Zdíkova. Zdíkov 2002, s. 130–133.
Neznámý autor: K výročí vědce Jana N. Woldřicha. In: Listy Prachaticka, 28. 12. 1994, s. 11.
Internetový zdroj:
Jan Nepomuk Woldřich, Kohoutí kříž. URL: https://www.kohoutikriz.org/autor.html?id=woldn [24. 3. 2021].