van Dijk, Peter J. (2020) Gregor Mendel’s meeting with Pope Pius IX: the truth in the story. [Preprint]

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Abstract

According to Hugo Iltis, Mendel had made a journey to Italy in the 1860s, not knowing when or for
what purpose. Mendel might then have also paid a visit to Pope Pius IX, and become acquainted
with the “later” Cardinal Teodolfo Mertel. Oswald Richter had already discovered that Mendel had
received a 3-months pass for the Italian states in mid-August 1863. In this article, I put forward new
evidence and arguments that it is very likely that Mendel took part in a three weeks’ organized
group tour to Italy in September 1863. This tour was organized by the same entrepreneurs as
Mendel’s group tour to the International Exhibition in London a year earlier. In Rome, the group was
received by the Pope. Furthermore, there were stays of several days in Naples and Florence.
Because Mertel had already become Cardinal four years before this trip, this part of the story about
Mertel cannot be correct. I argue that it is likely that the high dignitary whom Mendel met was Karl
von Hefele, professor of church history, spokesman for the group at the meeting with the Pope. It is
striking that in 1862 and 1863, Mendel could make expensive international trips, which were only
affordable to the societal elite. These major international journeys illustrate Mendel’s broad interest
in the world and the society of his days and contrast the view that he was a monk in recluse.

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Item Type:	Preprint
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID van Dijk, Peter J. peter.van-dijk@keygene.com 0000-0001-8592-6782
Keywords:	Gregor Mendel, Genetics, Pope Pius IX, Science, Religion
Subjects:	Specific Sciences > Biology Specific Sciences > Biology > Molecular Biology/Genetics General Issues > History of Science Case Studies
Depositing User:	Dr. Peter J. van Dijk
Date Deposited:	27 Jun 2020 01:03
Last Modified:	27 Jun 2020 01:03
Item ID:	17365
Subjects:	Specific Sciences > Biology Specific Sciences > Biology > Molecular Biology/Genetics General Issues > History of Science Case Studies
Date:	23 June 2020
URI:	https://philsci-archive.pitt.edu/id/eprint/17365

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