Czech Republic reclaims Mendel paper from Germany

The Czech Republic has reclaimed a precious document hand-written by the famed founder of new genetics, Gregor Mendel. Mendel wrote the document, titled “Experiments on Plant Hybridization” and considered a seminal work of genetics, at the Augustinian monastery in Brno in 1865. Thanks to prolonged diplomatic efforts, the Czech Republic was able to gain the seminal paper back from Germany. Among the parties claiming rights to the document were Austrian, Czech and German authorities, as well as the descendants of the Austrian scientist and the monastery in Brno, where he had worked on the seminal paper. Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg is set to present Mendel’s paper to the public on Thursday afternoon.

Author: Sarah Borufka