2015150 Years of the Discovery of the Laws of the Heredity - First Day Cover

Gregor Johann Mendel (1822-1884) born on the 20th July 1822 in Heinzendorf bei Odrau (currently Hynčice, Czech Republic) within a family of farmers. After completing the secondary education in Opava, he attended the Institute of Philosophy in Olomouc (1840-1843), where he studied mathematics, physics, philosophy and ethics. In Olomouc, Johann Karl Nestler (1783-1842), who had conducted the research on the hereditary characteristics of animals and plants directed the Department of Natural History and Agriculture. In 1843, on the recommendation of his physics’s teacher, Friedrich Franz (1783-1860), and against his father’s wishes, who wanted him to be in charge of the family farm, he entered the S. Tomás Monastery. By becoming an Augustinian monk, the name Gregor was added to his Christian name. During that period, the monastery was a cultural centre of the region, connecting therefore with research and education of its members and gaining access to the extensive library of the monastery and its premises.