Editing Jaroslav Heyrovský (section)

== Life and work ==

Jaroslav Heyrovský was born in [[Prague]] on December 20, 1890, the fifth child of Leopold Heyrovský, Professor of [[Roman Law]] at the [[Charles University in Prague]], and his wife Clara, née Hanl von Kirchtreu.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.steinbauer.biz/familytree/Rodokmeny.htm#_Toc219631234|title = O předcích}}</ref>  He obtained his early education at secondary school until 1909 when he began his study of [[chemistry]], [[physics]], and [[mathematics]] at the [[Charles University]] in Prague. From 1910 to 1914 he continued his studies at [[University College London]], under Professors Sir [[William Ramsay]], W. C. McC. Lewis, and [[Frederick G. Donnan|F. G. Donnan]], taking his B.Sc. degree in 1913. He was particularly interested in working with Professor Donnan, on electrochemistry.{{citation needed|date=January 2023}}

During the [[First World War]] Heyrovský worked in a military hospital as a dispensing chemist and [[radiology|radiologist]], which enabled him to continue his studies and to take his Ph.D. degree in Prague in 1918 and [[Higher doctorate|D.Sc.]] in London in 1921.

Heyrovský started his university career as assistant to Professor B. Brauner in the Institute of Analytical Chemistry of the Charles University, Prague; he was promoted to Associate Professor in 1922 and in 1926 he became the university's first professor of physical chemistry.

Heyrovský's invention of the polarographic method dates from 1922 and he concentrated his whole further scientific activity on the development of this new branch of [[electrochemistry]]. He formed a school of Czech polarographers in the university, and was himself in the forefront of polarographic research. In 1950 Heyrovský was appointed as the Director of the newly established Polarographic Institute, which was incorporated into the [[Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences]] in 1952.

In 1926 Professor Heyrovský married Marie (Mary) Koranová, and the couple had two children, a daughter, Jitka, and a son, Michael.

Jaroslav Heyrovský died on March 27, 1967. He was interred in the [[Vyšehrad cemetery]] in Prague.