Technikatörténeti szemle 23. (1997-98)
TANULMÁNYOK - Efmertová, Marcela: Major Anniversaries of Prague’s Czech Technical University and its Support from the Secondary School System in the Past
ice for the monarchy. The Commission actually prompted Gerstner to consider changes in the concept of the engineering school and made him its member responsible for drafting a reform of natural science and technical training, based on the rescript issued by Emperor Franz I in 1795. In July 1798 Gerstner published an extensive memorandum where he said in part 7 . "Whenever natural sciences, physics and mathematics are not successfully practised, industry cannot be elevated from its backwardness. New forces and new laws of nature have been discovered, giving rise to new production... anyone who remains inactive and fails to harness his own skills and strength for the development of technological progress shall soon find himself trailing behind others... In England Arkwright invented his weaving machine and Watt designed his steam engine, many English and French chemicians have improved dyeing, and new processes of ore smelting have been restored etc. Manufacturing has been gathering momentum, new economic activities are emerging. However, even momentous discoveries of science and technology have never been made by a few isolated ingenious minds. First and foremost, the overall level of general education has to be raised to a high degree of technical knowledge, and passionate desire has to be aroused for education and learning... The emerging polytechnic should be designed for the nascent higher technical intelligentsia. Specialized training shall be given to owners of iron works, glass works, dye works, to watchmakers, mechanics and builders. It shall educate chief officers and foremen at private plants, manufactories and workshop..." In actual fact, the memorandum was an introduction to the proposal in support of the domestic industry through the newly established special largescale central polytechical institute for the entire Habsburg empire in Central Europe. Gerstner submitted his plan four years after the foundation of the famous Ecole polytechnique in Paris. He modelled it entirely on French pattern with the only exception: due to the low quality of secondary schools at home he could not accentuate the scientific base of schooling, while the training of military engineers stood slightly outside the main focus of his interest, and his own concept was aimed primairly at developing the economy and manufacturing throughout the empire. Gerstner's ideas could be put into life only partially, after years of protracted negotiations with the authorities in Vienna, which were, moreover, interrupted by the Napoleonic wars. They could also materialize only in Bohemia, notably in Prague 8 . • Transformation of the Estates' Engineering Institute into Polytechnic As a very skillful man himself, Gerstner was very sensitive and responsive to society's practical needs. Coming from the family of a strapmaker 9 , he studied at the Jesuit gymnasium in Chomutov (North Bohemia) where his fa-
