Vitezslav Orel (1926 2015) Gregor Mendel's biographer and the rehabilitation of genetics in the Communist Bloc
At almost 90 years of age, we have lost the author of the founding historical works on Johann Gregor Mendel. Vitezslav Orel served for almost 30 years as the editor of the journal Folia Mendeliana. His work was beset by the wider problems associated with Mendel's recognition in the Communist Bloc, and by the way in which narratives of the history of science could be co opted into the service of Cold War and post Cold War political agendas. Orel played a key role in the organization of the Mendel symposium of 1965 in Brno, and has made a strong contribution to the rehabilitation of genetics generally, and to championing the work of Johann Gregor Mendel in particular. With Jaroslav Krizenecky, he cofounded the Mendelianum in Brno, which for decades has served as an intellectual bridge between the East and West. Orel's involvement with this institution exposed him to dangers both during and after the Cold War.
History and philosophy of the life sciences