Our School and Jaroslav Heyrovský

30 – OUR SCHOOL AND JAROSLAV HEYROVSKÝ

Jaroslav Heyrovský

Jaroslav Heyrovský (December 20, 1890 – March 27, 1967) was a Czech chemist and inventor. Heyrovský was the inventor of the polarographic method, father of the electroanalytical method, and the first Czech recipient of the Nobel Prize in 1959. His main field of work was polarography.

Jaroslav Heyrovský was born in Prague on December 20, 1890, the fifth child of Leopold Heyrovský, Professor of Roman Law at the Charles University in Prague, and his wife Clara. He obtained his early education at secondary school until 1909 when he began his study of chemistry, physics, and mathematics at the Charles University in Prague. From 1910 to 1914 he continued his studies at University College, London taking his B.Sc. degree in 1913.

During the First World War Heyrovský worked in a military hospital as a dispensing chemist and radiologist, which enabled him to continue his studies and to take his Ph.D. degree in Prague and D.Sc. in London.

Heyrovský started his university career as assistant to Professor B. Brauner, then he was promoted to Associate Professor and later he became the University's first Professor of Physical Chemistry.

Heyrovský's invention of the polarographic method dates from 1922 and he concentrated his whole further scientific activity on the development of this new branch of electrochemistry. He formed a school of Czech polarographers in the University, and was himself in the forefront of polarographic research.

In 1926 Professor Heyrovský married Marie Koranová, and the couple had two children, a daughter, Judith, and a son, Michael.

Jaroslav Heyrovský died on March 27, 1967. He was interred in the Vyšehrad cemetery in Prague.

In Czechoslovakia Heyrovský was awarded the State Prize, First Grade, and in 1955 the Order of the Czechoslovak Republic.

Heyrovský lectured on polarography in the United States, the USSR, England, Sweden, the People's Republic of China etc.

The crater Heyrovský on the Moon is named in his honour.

Our School

Jaroslav Heyrovský Grammar School was established in 1994 in Prague 13 – Stodůlky. It has been named after Jaroslav Heyrovský since 1996.

It provides an eight year and four year education for those who pass the entrance exams. Now, there are about 700 students attending our school.

The headmaster of our school is RNDr. Vilém Bauer and the deputy headmasters are RNDr. Bartholomew Süč and Ing. Lenka Hrušáková. There are more than 50 other teachers in school.

Students of our school can study about 25 subjects during eight years. Some of them are compulsory (e.g. Czech, English, Maths, Science, PE, Second foreign language, History etc.), some are elective (e.g. seminars in last grades – History, Third foreign language, Chemistry, Biology, Social Studies, Computer Studies...) and the others are optional, such as Drama Club, Films and Literature, Sports, Ceramics etc.

Our school has got very good equipment. There are Smart Boards in almost all the classrooms, which enable both teachers and students to prepare presentations, show films and photos during classes. There are two big gyms and a big and well equipped outdoor stadium with football and softball fields, tennis courts, jogging track etc. Also, our school has its own swimming pool where students exercise as a part of their PE lessons.