Prof. PhDr. Bedřich Šalamon

(*16. 7. 1880 – Praha   † 26. 7. 1967 – Praha)

Bedřich Šalamon, after graduating from grammar school, first studied at the Technical School (1898-1900) and then for two years at the University of Prague. Thanks to his studies, he became certified to teach mathematics and descriptive geometry in secondary schools. After his university studies he worked as an assistant to Prof. Sucharda in Brno and taught at secondary schools in Mladá Boleslav and Prague. Later he worked as a lecturer at the University of Prague and lectured on mathematical geography and cartography (although he was essentially self-taught in the field of cartography). Only after the establishment of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic did he habilitate in 1922 in mathematical geography and cartography at the Faculty of Science of Charles University. In 1925 Bedřich Šalamon was appointed an extraordinary and in 1931 a full professor at Charles University. In 1928 he was awarded the title of Knight of the French Legion of Honour. Šalamon also devoted himself to geophysics and from 1933 to 1950 he directed (after his friend V. Láskov) the State Institute of Geophysics. At the same time, from 1936, he was the head of the 2nd department of the Geographical Institute at Charles University. In 1935-1945 he also served as the keeper of the State Map Collection (today's Map Collection of Charles University) and finally in 1939 Solomon was elected Dean of the Faculty of Science of Charles University for the academic year 1939/40. However, Bedřich Šalamon was prevented from exercising this function by the closure of the universities in November 1939. In 1945 he returned to the university and continued to lecture (cartography, mathematical geography and geophysics for geographers and geophysicists). His successors were Karel Kuchař in cartography and Alois Zátopek in geophysics. From 1953 until his retirement in 1956, he served as head of the Department of Cartography and Physical Geography. Even after his retirement at the age of 76, he continued to lecture externally. In 1956 he received the Order of Labour and in 1966 he was awarded the Silver Plaque of the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences. Although Bedřich Šalamon was a renowned expert, due to his heavy workload and excessive self-criticism his publications are not very extensive. His most important works include: The publication of old maps in the collection Monumenta cartographica Bohemiae; Tissot's Theorem and its use in cartography (1908); he was co-author of the reform of Czech education submitted by the Union of Czech Mathematicians and Physicists (1912); together with K. Kuchař also published several versions of the Atlas for secondary schools.

Sources:

HÄUFLER, Vlastislav. Geschichte der Geographie an der Karls-Universität. 1st edition: Charles University, 1967, 421 p.

MARTÍNEK, Jiří. Geographers in the Czech Lands 1800-1945: (biographical dictionary). Prague: Historical Institute, 2008, 245 p. ISBN 978-80-7286-133-0.

MARTÍNEK, Jiří and MARTÍNEK, Miloslav. Who was who. 1st ed. Prague: Libri, 1998, 509 p. ISBN 80-85983-50-8.