(2012) MiNo. 713 ** - Czech Republic - 150th anniversary of the Union of Czechoslovak Mathematicians and Physicists

150 Years of the Union of Czech Mathematicians and Physicists: Tradition, Science and Education

The year 2012 marked the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Union of Czech Mathematicians and Physicists (UCMP), one of the oldest professional scientific societies in Central Europe. It was founded on 28 March 1862 in Prague under the name Society for Free Lectures in Mathematics and Physics. From the very beginning, it aimed to promote the teaching and popularization of the natural sciences, both among students and the general public.

In 1869, it was renamed the Unit of Czech Mathematicians, reflecting the growing emphasis on the organized association of professionals in the Czech environment. The name Unit of Czech Mathematicians and Physicists has been the name of the organization since 1912 - physics had since gained a firm position as a separate discipline, and it was natural to give it an equal place in the name.

Soon after its foundation, the Society became an important institution not only for education but also for the development of science itself. It published scholarly journals - the most important of which, The Journal for the Cultivation of Mathematics and Physics, was founded as early as 1872 - and held lectures, professional meetings and public discussions. She was actively involved in the development of textbooks, the improvement of teaching in secondary and higher education, and was closely associated with the formation of Czech terminology in the natural sciences.

Many prominent scientists were closely associated with the JCMF - for example, the mathematician Eduard Čech, the physicist Václav Dolejší, and later the author of relativistic cosmology Václav Hlavatý. The Society was also at the origin of a number of institutions, including the Institute of Mathematics and the Institute of Physics of the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences.

In its modern history, the JCMF has been mainly involved in promoting the teaching of mathematics and physics, organizing Olympiads and competitions for pupils and students, organizing conferences and publishing activities. With more than 150 years of history, it remains an important carrier of professional and educational tradition in the Czech lands.