Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic Awards Zdenek David Medal for Merit in Historical Sciences

On September 7, Zdenek David, senior scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, received the Frantisek Palacky Honorary Medal for Merit in Historical Sciences by the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic. The president of the Academy awards the medal to individuals who have made outstanding contributions in the social sciences, with a particular focus on the fields of history, philosophy, law, and sociology.

Zed David is a senior scholar at the Woodrow Wilson Center, currently researching the philosophical and religious background of Czechoslovakia founder Thomas G. Masaryk's public activity. Previously, he served as the Wilson Center's librarian from 1974-2002. He has led a distinguished career in academic research and education, having taught Russian and East European history at the University of Michigan from 1960-1965 and having served as a Slavic bibliographer and Russian and East European history lecturer at Princeton from 1966-1974. David published a book on Bohemian religious history during the Reformation and has completed a manuscript for a second book, in addition to contributing to numerous publications on East European history.

The Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic is the leading non-university research institution in the Czech Republic. Established in 1992 as the successor to the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences, it conducts basic research to advance developments in scientific knowledge, as well as projects focused on Czech society and national culture. Since 1995 the Academy has awarded the Frantisek Palacky Honorary Medal for Merit in Historical Sciences as an honorary medal.