| Sternberg, Kašpar Maria earl
Nobleman, clergyman, founder of the modern paleobotany and organizer of scientific life. He was dedicated to spiritual life and since his youth was strongly interested in natural science. In Regensburg he became director of the local scientific institutes including botanical garden. In 1808, he became owner of the estates in Březina near Radnice, rich in coal and alum shale - a raw material for the production of alum and sulfuric acid. There he devoted his effort to scientific studies, especially of the Carboniferous flora. He made numerous private and business trips abroad where he mainly investigated Carboniferous paleobotany bringing back to Bohemia large collections of minerals and fossils. These rich collections became a ground for his noted monograph dealing with fossil flora: 'Versuch einer geographisch-botanischen Darstellung der Flora der Vorwelt', also translated into French. Botanists J. Presl and Corda partly cooperated in this study. Earl Sternberg took strong credit for foundation of the Patriotic Museum in Prague in 1818, now the National Museum, and donated all his mineralogical, botanical and paleontological collections to this institution. He wrote 74 papers and monographs. His three-volume history of the Czech mining and mining legislation he had worked on since 1831 nearly to his death was much appreciated and recognized. The first two volumes are entitled 'Umrisse einer Geschichte der böhmischen Bergwerke', the third one 'Umrisse der Geschichte des Bergbaues und der Berggesetzgebung des Königreichs Böhmen'. These publication provide a vast number of data taken from now inaccessible or already non-existent sources. It is being used even presently by historians describing the history of mining. The mineral sternbergite (AsFe2S3) was named in honor of him. He also organized the very first scientific conference in Bohemia. Together with F. Palacký he initiated edition of the first Czech periodical 'Časopis Národního muzea'(Journal of the National Museum) whose first issue was published in 1827.
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born 6th January 1761 Prague, died 20th December 1838 Březina