KKK

Jiří František August Buquoy

(1781 - 1851) Aristocrat, mathematician and inventor

After his studies at the Vienna and Prague universities where he studied mathematics, natural science, philosophy and economy he devoted his time from 1803 to taking care of the family possessions. He tried to apply his knowledge gained during his studies, and in 1810 he constructed a steam engine and did his best to apply it in practice. Most of all, he was engaged in the glass works in Nové Hrady region that had had a long tradition from the mid 1600\'s. On the basis of many experiments he succeeded in inventing an original process technology of a black opaque glass called hyalite (1817), as well as completing the production process for red hyalite (1819). In 1834 he established the natural reservation called Žofín old growth forest (Primeval Forest Žofín).

(mj)