Adolf Martin Pleischl`s Birth Place With Commemorative Plaque – Now Demolished

 

The plaque commemorating prominent chemist and physician Adolf Martin Pleischl (1787–1867) was installed on the house in Jenišov, where he was born. This house, however, was demolished during the construction of the Lipno water reservoir. Pleischl won renown not only for his teaching at the university in Prague, but also for his work on the analysis of medicinal springs in West Bohemian spas. He made history with the discovery of lead-free enamel, which was then used to coat metal cookware.

 

Adolf Martin Pleischl was born in Jenišov (formerly Hossenreith) which is today partly flooded by the Lipno water reservoir. He studied medicine at the Charles-Ferdinand University in Prague (grad. in 1815) and in 1819 became professor of General and Pharmaceutical Chemistry here and participated in a number of researches. He not only tested the new preparations on himself, but also invited students to participate. One of them was Jan Evangelista Purkyně. Pleischl had been defining the shape of university chemistry until 1837, when he left for the University of Vienna.

Pleischl`s publications concern mainly the field of inorganic chemistry, e.g. the catalytic action of metals. His major achievement was the publication of Das chemische Laboratorium an der K. K. Universität zu Prag (The Chemical Laboratory of the Imperial University in Prague), which is the first ever collection of scientific papers at the University of Prague. This writing from the 1820s documents the prominence of the field of chemistry, which was developing rapidly and thus receiving great support. During Pleischl`s time in Prague, the university's chemical laboratory was rebuilt and expanded. Now it became possible to carry out a wide variety of experiments here, e.g. with air and water presses or pressure vessels, gases, electricity or magnetism. After further reconstruction of the laboratory in 1836-1837, 30 trainees could work here and the auditorium was designed for 130 students.

Adolf Martin Pleischl was also intensively involved in the field of water analysis, both in Prague and in West Bohemian spas. He discovered potassium, bromine and iodine in the Karlovy Vary springs and was a great promoter of local spa treatment. Between 1838 and 1848 Pleischl was a professor at the University of Vienna. His important discovery of “healthy” enamel in 1836 led him in later years to found a factory in Austria that produced healthy kitchenware. This cookware was then presented at many international industrial exhibitions.

The commemorative plaque was unveiled at the birthplace of Adolf Martin Pleischl in Jenišov on 8 September 1882 on the initiative of Jordan Kajetan Markus, a native of Frymburg and director of the high and vocational schools in Vienna. Markus also delivered a celebratory speech on this occasion. The house and its commemorative plaque were demolished during the construction of the Lipno water reservoir in 1952-1959. Today the house would stand near the shore of the Lipno dam, in the Jenišov car camp.

 

References

Janko, J.: Vědy o životě v českých zemích 1750–1950. Praha 1997.

Janko, J., Štrbáňová, S.: Věda Purkyňovy doby. Praha 1988, s. 31–32.

 

Internetový zdroj:

Adolf Martin Pleischl. Jihočeská vědecká knihovna v Českých Budějovicích, Kohoutí kříž. URL: https://www.kohoutikriz.org/autor.html?id=pleis [23. 2. 2021]. 

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