HRABÁK, Josef
* 13. 4. 1833, Siré near Rokycany, Czech Republic
† 15. 7. 1921, Příbram, Czech Republic
Mountain scientist
Between 1853 and 1857 H. attended the Mining Academy in Banská Štiavnica and was hired as a trainee in the local mining Directorate. In 1861 he took another job and went to copper mine and metallurgical plant in Tergov, Croatia. There he worked as the main architect, but already in 1862 become an assistant and in 1864 assistant professor at the Mining Academy in Leoben. The following year he went to Příbram, where he initially worked in the state company for extraction of ore and was appointed a full professor in the Department of Mining and Metallurgy at the Mining Academy from 1867 until 1899.
In recognition for his merits in Czech mining, he as the first in Austria-Hungary monarchy in 1907 received an honorary doctorate in the field of mountain science at the Institute of mountain science in Příbram. His scientific and literary work from 1864 to 1909 comprises over fifty titles about the results of his research in the field of mining engineering with an emphasis on steam engines. His many guides on calculating the dimensions and impact of steam engines were published in many editions and were distributed in Germany, Sweden and Russia. The book on wires was published in 1902 in French and English and in 1936 in Russian. His contributions to research on deepening to 2,000 m provoked a debate all over the world.
Closely associated with the technical professional literature are his works in the field of terminology. As a result of his research, mining and later metallurgical dictionaries were published. Technical terminology dictionary in six volumes was never finished. In his late years, H. dealt with the history of mining and metallurgy in the Czech lands.
