The doctor who mapped the underground and the architect of the technical glory of Bílinská kyselka

August Emanuel von Reuss was born on July 8, 1811 in Bílina, North Bohemia, into a family where science and medicine were the daily bread. His father, František Ambrož Reuss, was a famous spa doctor and pioneer of balneology. Although Emanuel studied medicine at the Charles-Ferdinand University in Prague, he found his true passion in geology, mineralogy, and above all in mapping the world of invisible fossils.

A heritage that has grown into modern technology

Although Emanuel was a trained physician and even worked as a spa doctor in Bílina, his scientific mind was focused on the technical and geological origin of the springs. While Father Ambrož described co is being treated in Bílina, Emanuel focused on jak This water is formed underground. His comprehensive explorations of the Bílinsko underground laid the foundations for modern spring harvesting.

He was a man who was able to transform scientific knowledge into technical solutions. In 1852 He was at the origin of the first major reconstruction of the spring collection system. He initiated the construction of deep collection shafts and an extensive drainage system, which for the first time effectively separated the valuable mineral water from surface water. This not only increased the yield of the springs, but above all ensured their stability and purity.

Founder of micropaleontology and Knight of Bořen

While Bílina owes Emanuel modern collection of sources, world science owes him the discovery of micropaleontology. He was the first to realize that rocks contain millions of tiny organisms (foraminifera), invisible to the naked eye, which can be used to accurately determine the age of rocks. His extensive collections and publications brought him world fame.

Emanuel's career progressed: he became a professor of mineralogy in Prague, rector of Charles University and later a professor at the University of Vienna. For his lifelong services to science and the monarchy, he was knighted and, as a knight, he had nothing less than the silhouette of his native hill, Bořeň, added to his coat of arms. Emanuel von Reuss thus forever linked the glory of modern science with respect for the Bílina region.