The memorial plaque to Knight Karel Kořistka (1825–1906) commemorates the place of birth of this geodesist, cartographer and geographer who made important contributions to the natural history research of Bohemia and Moravia with his hypsometric (elevation and depth measurements) works.

Karel František Edvard Kořistka was born in Březová nad Svitavou and between 1841 and 1843 studied mathematics, physics and astronomy at the University of Vienna. He continued his studies at the Mining Academy in Bánská Štiavnica where he became assistant to mathematician and physicist Christian Doppler in 1848. Here Kořistka began his scientific career by researching the influence of altitude and the geological nature of the soil on the Earth`s magnetism. In 1849 Kořistka became professor of practical geometry (geodesy) at the Brno Technical University and in 1851 he was appointed professor of elementary mathematics and practical geometry at the Prague Polytechnic, where he worked until 1893. In 1852 Kořistka was asked by Brno Werner Verein Society to take altitude measurements in Moravia and Silesia. He later did the same in Bohemia at the request of the Prague museum. For the hypsometry of Moravia Kořistka measured 430 points from south Moravia to Brno and he published the report Bericht über einige im südlichen Mähren ausgeführte Höhenmessungen (Report on some measurements done in South Moravia). In 1853 Kořistka made altitude measurements along both sides of the river Svitava (from Svitavy to Blansko) thus accompanying August Emanuel Reuss who was doing geological mapping in the area. Within the Moravian Karst, Kořistka also focused on the hydrographic context in relation to groundwater. Kořistka`s hypsometrical work in the Moravian Karst area was built upon by Martin Kříž.

Kořistka collaborated from 1864 on the “natural history research of Bohemia” and together with geologist Jan Krejčí edited the proceedings called The Archive of Natural History Research of Bohemia where he published a number of articles on topographic and orographic features of Bohemia. Karel Kořistka died on January 19 1906 in Prague.

The commemorative plaque to Karel Kořistka was mounted on his house in 1976. It was made by sculptor and medal-maker Milada Othová.

Absolon, K.: Moravský kras, 1. díl. Praha 1970, s. 44–45.

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

Neznámý autor: Zemřelí pracovníci. In: Živa, 3/1906, s. 92.

Internetový zdroj:

Folta, J, Šišma, P.: Karel František Edvard Kořistka. URL: https://web.math.muni.cz/biografie/karel_koristka.html [22.7.2021].

Commemorative Plaque to Karel Kořistka on his House in Březová nad Svitavou