Rudolf Zahradník

Rudolf Zahradník (20 October 192831 October 2020) was a Czech chemist in the field of quantum chemistry and molecular spectroscopy. He held research positions at the Institute of Occupational Medicine and went on to serve as the first director of the J Heyrovsky Institute of Physical Chemistry, president of the Czech Academy of Sciences and chairman of the Learned Society of the Czech Republic, after the Velvet Revolution. During the 1980s, he taught future German leader Angela Merkel, who was then on an internship in Czechoslovakia. He held a doctorate from the University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague.

Early life and career Zahradník was born in Bratislava (then in Czechoslovakia, now in Slovakia) on 20 October 1928. He was a member of the Junák scout movement and decided to study chemistry when he read an article on invisible ink at grammar school. He graduated from the University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague in 1952, one of his teachers there was Jaroslav Koutecký. Having previously been considered a bad influence on his students, Zahradník was able to obtain a research position after the Khrushchev Thaw relaxed Soviet restrictions on Czechoslovakia. before being awarded a Doctor of Science degree by them in 1967. In 1959, Zahradník joined the faculty of Natural Sciences at Charles University and in 1961 served as a head of the Applied Quantum Chemistry Group at the Institute of Physical Chemistry, Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences. In the 1980s he taught Angela Merkel while she was on an internship in Czechoslovakia several times. They stayed in contact and she also visited him on his ninetieth birthday. and Clarkson universities in 1998.

He published more than 350 papers and 10 books especially on quantum chemistry problems. Member of the International Academy of Quantum Molecular Science Founding member of the Engineering Academy of the Czech Republic (1995) Medal, J.M. Marci Spectroscopical Society (1998) Austrian 1st Class Honorary Cross for Science and Arts (1999)