News: Faculty of Science

An international symposium of experts specialising on court society in the Middle Ages took place from 22–24 August at the Palacký University Faculty of Arts. The interdisciplinary conference entitled Courtly Experiences in the Pre-Modern World, c. 1200–1800: Cultural, Material and Sensory Experiences in the World of the Court was held in Olomouc for the first time.

Throughout pre-modern history, royal and princely courts around the world were epicentres of activity, interaction, exchange, and modes of cultural production that not only defined the environments of various courts but also shaped the encounters that took place within different court cultures. The Olomouc conference explored the intersections and nuances of courtly experiences, both from the physical and material as well as the sensory world.

“Four dozen scholars addressed a very wide range of material and sensory experiences at court in their conference papers. Among other things, they delt with the role of gifts, secret codes, exotic animals, games, conspiracies and scandals, clothing, scents, flavours, recreation, and sports. For example, Dustin Neighbors from Helsinki talked about early modern hunting as a multisensory experience that was meant to amaze and build a space for social interaction. Cecilia Aneer from Uppsala looked at the use of cloths and furs in Swedish court dress as an indicator of social status. Marc W. S. Jaffré of Groningen compared the material and sensory experiences of visitors to the French and Japanese courts in the 17th century; hospitality was a very important form of representation at the time, and any mistake was damaging to the reputation of the monarch. Jack Dykstra-McCarthy of Cambridge highlighted the complexity of descriptions of the culinary experiences of English envoys at the Ottoman court. Surprisingly, they did not focus on flavours but rather on the spatial and social aspects of the encounter,” said Patrik Paštrnák from the Department of History at the UP Faculty of Arts on behalf of the conference organisers.

The conference, organised by the UP Faculty of Arts Department of History with the support of the Centre for Research on Courts and Residences at the Institute of History of the Czech Academy of Sciences, was commenced in the Corpus Christi Chapel by the UP Faculty of Arts Vice-Dean Kristýna Solomon. The first keynote lecture was then delivered by Prof Karl Kügle (Oxford/Utrecht University).

“Professor Kügle, a leading expert on medieval music, spoke about acoustic physiognomies, that is, how music and sound perceptions helped to build and reinforce the identity of courtiers and court participants. The second keynote address was made by Oxford art historian Leah Clark, who focuses on cultural exchange between Italy and the Islamic world in the 15th century. In her lecture, she talked about the transcultural experience gained from visiting early modern courts,” commented Paštrnák.

He emphasised that the three-day prestigious Olomouc meeting was part of an interdisciplinary research on pre-modern monarchical courts. It included both historical disciplines (social and cultural history, art history, material culture and architecture, archaeology, etc.) and broader humanities and social sciences (anthropology, theatre studies, musicology). It aimed to analyse the phenomenon of the monarchical courts as a dynamic organism and a key instrument for the construction of power and social status. Courts could use a variety of means to do so.

“We conduct research on courts at the UP Department of History, occasionally collaborating with colleagues from other departments or faculties. This three-day event was the annual conference of the Society for Court Studies, launched in 1995 in the UK. Today it has branches in Europe and the USA,” concluded the UP historian.

In 2022, the conference was held in Helsinki, Finland, and last year in Madrid, Spain. This prestigious interdisciplinary meeting was held in Olomouc for the first time.

Scientists from the University of Innsbruck, including Ondřej Kováč from the UP Faculty of Science Department of Organic Chemistry, were the first in the world to use a new method to synthetically prepare the complex chemical substance ganoapplanin from a group of complex polycyclic meroterpenoids contained in fungi of the genus Ganoderma. Decoctions of these mushrooms (reishi) are already known in traditional Chinese medicine, as they have significant antioxidant, anti-tumour, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial effects due to their natural meroterpenoid content. The synthetic production of polycyclic meroterpenoids opens the door to their further research and possible use in the pharmaceutical industry. The results of scientific work on the chemical organic synthesis of meroterpenoids were published in the prestigious Journal of the American Chemical Society (JACS).

“Using a synthetic strategy I co-developed with colleagues in Innsbruck, complex polycyclic meroterpenoids can be prepared in the laboratory. This will allow us further targeted study of these biologically active natural products,” said Kováč. Scientists at the University of Innsbruck have already started biological testing of synthetically prepared ganoapplanin, which should reveal its potential for new drug development. They have also applied the developed method for synthetic production to the preparation of other Ganoderma meroterpenoids.

From a biological point of view, ganoapplanin exhibits inhibitory activity towards the CaV3 ion channel, which plays an important role especially for heart and brain function. “Since these ion channels are involved in a wide range of physiological functions, they are one of the main molecular targets in biomedical research. Ganoapplanin is therefore ranked among the potential new drugs against neurodegenerative diseases such as epilepsy or Parkinson’s disease. It may thus become a starting point for the development of new, more effective drugs,” pointed out Kováč.

Meroterpenoids contained in the fungi of the genus Ganoderma belong to a large group of natural products characterized by their wide structural diversity. “More than 100 isolated representatives of meroterpenoids from fungi belonging to the genus Ganoderma are now known. The significant biological activity of extracts from these fungi prompted scientists to isolate individual compounds and study them. Some isolated natural substances were subsequently classified as candidates with significant therapeutic potential,” said Kováč.

However, further research and potential use of meroterpenoids has so far been limited by their availability. For example, for a possible clinical phase of testing the effects of meroterpenoids, scientists need to have large quantities of these substances available. This, however, would require processing huge quantities of this fungus, which could threaten the entire Ganoderma ecosystem. Scientists have therefore turned their attention to organic synthesis in the laboratory some time ago, as this is one of the most feasible ways to secure the necessary amount of meroterpenoids.

Complex meroterpenoids, which include ganoapplanin, have resisted their efforts for synthetic production due to their complicated structure. “Although ganoapplanin was already isolated in 2016 by a scientific team from China, its complex structure containing a number of oxygenated functional groups has made it a major synthetic challenge and a very difficult to obtain natural product,” Kováč pointed out.

The first total synthesis of ganoapplanin was carried out by a team of scientists at the University of Innsbruck led by Prof Thomas Magauer. He used the “cascade” reaction linking an aromatic and a bicyclic terpenoid fragment of ganoapplanin. “This innovative approach allowed us to prepare a key structural motif containing a polycyclic skeleton in a single step. Interestingly, nature itself guided us to this step, as biosynthesis occurs similarly inside the fungus from which the natural product was isolated. It was up to us to find suitable conditions in the laboratory to simulate this step in the reaction flask, which was not easy at all,” said Kováč.

At the same time, Innsbruck scientists found an efficient way to prepare the bicyclic terpenoid fragment itself, which is also a component of other Ganoderma meroterpenoids. “These results are under peer review and will soon be published in another scientific paper. In general, the developed synthetic strategy offers an effective tool to prepare complex polycyclic meroterpenoids and, in particular, enables further targeted study of these biologically active natural products,” added Kováč.

Fencer Jakub Jurka, a student of the UP Faculty of Physical Culture (FPC), was dubbed a national hero after winning a bronze medal as part of the Czech fencing team at the XXXIII Olympiad in Paris in a remarkable performance against the home favourites, taking home the first Olympic medal by the Czech team.

The match could not have been more important to them. “We told ourselves that no matter what happens, this is the greatest experience of our lives, because we are fencing the French on their home turf, before their public. For an Olympic medal – no matter if gold, silver, or bronze!” the youngest of the bronze-winning Czech fencers told Sport.cz. It was his second Olympic appearance. In 2021, he took part in the Tokyo Olympics which were affected by COVID-19.

Although in 2021 the fencers did not make it into the second round, in 2024 they are returning to the Czech Republic accompanied by the applause of their fans. Jurka was given a hero’s welcome not only at the Olympic festival in Most, but also home in Olomouc, when he showed his medal to the crowds on the Upper Square – where UP Rector Martin Procházka and Svatopluk Horák of UP FPC personally congratulated the fencer on his success and thanked him for representing the country and university.

Other athletes connected with Palacký University represented the Czech Republic in Paris. Impressive performances in rowing were given by fellow alumni Radka Novotníková from the Faculty of Arts (finishing in 10th place), and Miroslav Vraštil of UP FPC (6th place), the latter making his fourth appearance at the Olympic Games.

Experiencing the Olympic atmosphere for the first time were judoka Renata Zachová and archer Adam Li, both FPC students. While neither made it into the medal rounds, the fact that they fought the world’s best remains unchanged.

A treasure stored in hundreds of banana boxes. Old books, covered with a layer of dust, many mildewed. Piles of volumes, some published more than five centuries ago, right after the invention of the printing press. This is how the historic library of the Želiv Monastery looked, until recently. But since March of this year, the rare books are back in their rightful place. After decades of material suffering, they have returned to their shelves in the newly restored areas of the original monastery library. Students of archiving and history at Palacký University had a large role in this – arranging the books under their teachers’ tutelage took six years.

The history of mankind has shown many times that the most important chapters are written into our fate and our books, almost in parallel. This has been so since the time of the revolutionary invention of Johann Gutenberg, for the printing press changed the world forever, making it possible to distribute ideas and information en masse. The dark events in our history have been accompanied by the destruction of human lives along with books, burnt in an attempt to stifle uncomfortable ideas by erasing memory. The Želiv Monastery has always been one of those places which did not escape those dark moments in our history. It is thus almost a miracle that its book collection, tended and expanded for centuries by the Premonstratensians, has been preserved to this day.

The monastery’s history dates all the way back to 1139. It has experienced many turbulent moments in its nine centuries. It was afflicted by several fires, repeatedly occupied by Hussites and other armies, the monks had to deal with epidemics, natural catastrophes, and governmental disfavour. After the communist coup in February 1948, the monastery was dissolved as part of the government’s anti-church and monastery campaign, and due to its remote location, it was used instead as an internment camp for priests and monks, then closed in February 1956. In 1950, its furnishings were removed, and its books went to the Museum of Czech Literature’s collection at Strahov Monastery in Prague. “In the second half of the twentieth century, the monastery was used as a psychiatric clinic and rehabilitation centre for alcoholism. The callous complex management literally devastated this rare historic monument,” added the monastery’s current abbot, Tadeáš Róbert Spišák. He remembers how he came to the monastery twenty years ago and guided visitors through the refectory – the monks’ common dining hall: “I sighed that there was a library on the floor above us, a place for spiritual nourishment, but sadly, closed. Under the communists, the furniture had been burnt, and the books lay about in piles,” said Abbot Spišák, commenting on the unfortunate situation when although the books had been returned from Strahov, the collection was incomplete, uncatalogued, and disorganised.

Attempts to return the library to its original appearance and previous function began to take a specific form six years ago, when UP Faculty of Arts (UP FA) students began coming to the monastery for a practical summer course in archiving. The difficult work was led by UP FA History Department teachers Jana Oppeltová, Ema Šimková, and Věra Slavíková for the entire duration. “We also do field work with our students at other institutions in Bohemia and Moravia. We’ve been going to Želiv Monastery since 2018, always with a group of fifteen to twenty students. Our work there was quite difficult. We had to move the books twice, so every one of the books has passed through our hands at least thrice. In terms of their weight, it would be like moving three and a half elephants,” said Jana Oppeltová with a laugh.

Joining the history students were students of music history and musicology. Together, they arranged the historic books, numbered them, and partly catalogued them. In autumn of last year, the books were transferred to their new shelves over several long weekends. The modern shelving was designed by the Šépka architectural design firm. “It’s a system of concrete supports and metal shelving, and the concrete was poured in place, using stones and gravel from the Želivka River. We wanted to inscribe the place into the architecture. The whole assembly was made self-standing so we did not have to anchor it to the historic building construction in any way. In the centre of the room is a great table – an 8-metre metal surface – where the most valuable books are presented in thirteen glass-covered cases. The intention was to evoke the feeling of a banquet table, for beneath the library is the monastery dining hall,” described architect Jan Šépka.

The reconstructed and sensitively furnished areas of the original library are decorated with frescoes from the 18th century. During its ceremonial reopening last spring, UP Rector Martin Procházka was in attendance. “Želiv Monastery is one of the most beautiful and important monuments in the country. I’m proud that our students and teachers had a role in its restoration, taking part in saving the cultural heritage of our nation. I think that this is a fine example of how our students manage to make practical use of their knowledge and skills. And what is especially gratifying to me is the fact that here we have a very good example of the applicability of the humanities in society,” said the UP rector.

Želiv Monastery has been a national cultural monument since 2010; last year 17,000 visitors toured the complex. While the library is not part of the tour, it is accessible to researchers and the professional public. It is only open to visitors on special occasions, for it is part of the cloister, a place where only monks are allowed. “A monastery cannot function without books. The Želiv library was meant to be a reflection of the world, which is why it has works written mainly in German, Latin, and Czech from the most diverse fields in addition to theology. We were able to restock the library with 25,000 books published before 1860. These include medieval and Baroque manuscripts and even several incunabula – books printed before 1500. For students, it is truly something special when they first get such ancient and rare books into their hands,” noted Oppeltová.

In addition to the newly restored library, Želiv Monastery also opened the newly renovated spaces of the ancient prelature – the abbot’s residence – before the start of this year’s tourist season. “We are very grateful here for the cooperation of Dr Jana Oppeltová, who wrote the exhibition brochure, and with her colleagues from the Palacký University Faculty of Arts and from the Hroznata Academy at Teplá Monastery for its splendid installation,” added Spišák. The ancient prelature is now part of the monastery tour, and the newly-installed exhibition acquaints visitors with archaeological findings and the abbot’s lodgings as they looked at the start of the 20th century, including the bedroom, study, dining room, salon, private chapel, library, and monastery museum. “I would like to thank Palacký University, its employees and students, from the bottom of my heart. Without their efforts, dedication, expertise, and remarkable enthusiasm, we never would have accomplished this. And above all, we never would have achieved the return of these historic volumes to their rightful place after almost seventy years,” the abbot added.

Since 2018, more than a hundred UP FA students have taken part in restoring Želiv Monastery’s historic library. UP FA Department of History students and teachers travel to other places in Bohemia and Moravia, including the Cistercian Monastery in Osek near Duchcov in the Ore Mountains foothills, the Premonstratensian Monastery in Teplá near Mariánské Lázně (Marienbad), and the Diocesan Library at the bishopric in Litoměřice.