FRIČ, Jan

Brothers F. were sons of a politician, poet and newspaper writer Josef Václav F. (1829-1891). They were born during their father's exile in Paris. Only in 1867 were they able to return to Prague with their mother, while their father could not return until 1879. That year both brothers graduated; Josef from an academic grammar school and Jan from the state secondary modern school in Prague. Already during secondary school they carried out experiments and designed their first device – with the mercury pump. Josef began studying science at the University in Prague while Jan studied chemistry at the Prague technical school. Jan was later trained as a mechanic under František →Božek. In Božek’s workshop he started making instruments for the technical instruction he was in charge of. On the recommendation of Vojtěch Šafařík Jan received additional practical training in the Bamberg company in Berlin. Health reasons interrupted Josef’s studies. During their studies both brothers got acquainted with spectral analysis, which led them to the study of astronomy. In the years 1882/83 they arranged a workshop for precision engineering in their apartment, abandoned academic studies and dedicated themselves to the manufacture of surveying and astronomical instruments. Among other things, they produced a polarization device for schools and their own structure of the Newtonian telescope. They participated in the exhibition of the Society of Architects and Engineers in Příbram, where the presentation of their surveying equipment earned them a silver medal. They also manufactured necessary production machinery for the production of measuring devices: great machine for the manufacture of components and grinders for large mirrors. In the first years of operation, their company produced a mining theodolite "Duplex", constructed with the newly designed horizontal circle and two binoculars.
After the first five years of successful operations, they moved the workshop to Krameriová street (today: Americká). Their participation at the general Land Exhibition in 1891, where their surveying instruments and manufacturing machines, such as polarimeter, a thermometer and various control devices, where introduced met with great success. At the new head office Jan arranged an observatory, equipped with an astrograph, which he himself created. The brothers devoted to photographing astronomical objects (the Moon, comets). During this time they cooperated with Šafařík. Their successful recordings were published in publications of Czech Academy of Sciences. Everything was developing in the right direction for the brothers until Jan died of inflammation of appendicitis being 34 years old. Jan was the designer of most instruments. One year after his death in 1879 Josef bought an estate with 4.6 hectares on a Manda hill in Ondřejovo. Here he founded the Žalov observatory, being devoted to work together with F. Nušl. Over thirty years he built an excellent observatory of the time with two domes, central building, four observation houses with a removable roof, working space, space for receiving radio signals and a workshop.
Together with Nušl F. he constructed astronomic-geodetic instruments: circumzenithal, diazenithal and radiozenithal. The devices were used for the definition of geographic coordinates. Circumzenithal proved its effectiveness during the astronomic works in the basic trigonometric network in the Czechoslovak Republic. On the tenth anniversary of the establishment of Czechoslovakia in 1928 he donated the observatory in Ondřejovo to Charles University. Among the surveying devices of his construction were also a collection of tools for marking of underground shafts, machine for controlling the deformations of the dams in the valleys and a special levelling instrument for measuring of water level. In 1927, F. became president of the National Economic Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences and Arts. Between 1927 and 1931 he received honorary doctorates of the Czech Technical college and Charles University.