With deep sadness, we announce the passing of Prof. RNDr. Pavel Prošek, CSc., an internationally renowned physical geographer and climatologist whose life and work left an indelible mark on Czech and global science.
Prof. Pavel Prošek was born in 1940. In 1957, he was admitted to the Faculty of Science at Masaryk University in Brno, where he graduated five years later as a geographer and teacher of biology and geography. He began his professional career at the Cartographic and Reproduction Institute in Prague. After returning from military service, he began his postgraduate studies in climatology at what was then Jan Evangelista Purkyně University, as Masaryk University was called until 1990.
Despite the obstacles of the time, he managed to develop international cooperation – he completed a one-year internship at the prestigious ETH Zurich and later became a member of several polar expeditions. Between 1985 and 1990, he undertook three expeditions to Spitsbergen, and in the 1990s, as an associate professor and professor, he participated in two expeditions to Antarctica.
The most significant part of his life's work was his efforts to establish the Johann Gregor Mendel Czech Scientific Station in Antarctica, which he founded and personally oversaw the construction of. The station was officially opened on February 22, 2007, on the coast of James Ross Island. Prof. Prošek thus laid the foundations for the Czech Antarctic Research Program, which is now a recognized member of the international Antarctic community.
He was also instrumental in the Czech Republic's admission as a consultative member of the Antarctic Treaty, enabling our country, as one of 29 states in the world, to participate fully in decisions about the future of this continent.
He was professor emeritus at the Faculty of Science of Masaryk University, president of the Czech Antarctic Foundation, and an honorary member of the Czech Geographical Society. He received numerous awards for his lifelong scientific and pedagogical work, including the Silver Medal of the President of the Senate, the Commemorative Plaque of the Czech Geographical Society, the Brno City Award for Natural Sciences, and the Silver Medal of Masaryk University.
His professional work and human approach inspired generations of students, colleagues, and collaborators. He was also dedicated to popularizing science—he is the author of the monograph Antarctica (2013) and the book Encounters with Antarctica (2021).
We remember with respect and gratitude the life of Professor Pavel Prošek, who devoted his career to knowledge, courage, and discovery. His legacy will remain forever linked to Czech research in the polar regions and to Masaryk University, which he represented throughout his life.
The funeral service will take place on Saturday, November 8, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. in the funeral hall in Bystřice pod Hostýnem.
Photo: Archive of the Czech Antarctic Research Program
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