Pea plant pilgrims hunting a genius
IVENTURED to Central Europe to delve into Gregor Mendel’s troubled history. Who, you may ask? Mendel was an impoverished Czech genius, a mentally unstable friar whose pea-plant experiments in the 19th Century solved some of mankind’s genetic mysteries.
In the study of hereditary disease and DNA, students are given a potted history of Mendel. And during my studies, I became as intrigued by the man himself as I was with his work. Who was the enigmatic figure? I convinced my parents that a trip to central Europe to further my investigations was a legitimate excuse for a family holiday.
I decorated a map of the Czech Republic with all Mendel’s places of residence. Our pilgrimage began with a flight to Vienna, and after picking up a car, we crossed the border to Brno.
In the Czech town we would begin to trace Mendel’s history, starting at the monastery, the Abbey of St Thomas, where his scientific breakthroughs took place.
The raffish charm of the country’s second-largest city wasn’t what I had expected. In the centre, its architectural grandeur was interspersed with decay and graffiti.
However, there was evidence of Mendel’s influence. Government buildings and streets were named after him, as well as a number of cafes and restaurants.
During his lifetime, Mendel’s discoveries received no recognition. Following his death, fellow monks adhered to their traditions by burning much of his research. However, it was encouraging to see that in Brno, at least, he has now become something of a hero.
Adjacent to the monastery is a public garden, cafe and a museum dedicated to him, a shrine to the scientist’s brilliant mind.
A few belongings had been rescued from the flames by fellow monks and they are stored in small cabinets.
Outside, a rectangular foundation and a few pea plants are all that remain of Mendel’s famous greenhouse. This scientifically sacred plot has been invaded by clumps of grass and rickety garden furniture. But however poorly presented, to see the vegetation that had yielded such significant findings was exciting.
Our investigation also took us to several other locations, including Mendel’s tiny hometown, Hyncice. As a young man, Mendel had abandoned the family farm here to pursue his passion for science, even though his only option for further education had been to dedicate his life to being a monk.
We ended our trip where we started it – in Vienna, where we succumbed to the Airbnb revolution and stayed in a centrally located apartment.
The bulk of Mendel’s university studies occurred in the Austrian capital. The city’s immaculate palaces and quaint cafes seemed in stark contrast to the remote environment of Gregor’s upbringing.
I wondered if he had felt at home here, or if the isolation from his family and friends had contributed to one of his many nervous breakdowns. Everything we had learned about Mendel during our time away had shed more light on his extraordinary life.