Prokop Divis Facts
Prokop Divis Facts
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| Interesting Prokop Divis Facts: |
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| Vaclav Divisek was born in Helvikovice, Bohemia. |
| His early education was at the Jesuit gymnasium in that same town. |
| In 1716 he entered Premonstratensian abbey gymnasium in Louka. |
| After completing his studies, he entered the novitiate there and took the name Prokop. |
| He professed his vows and studied philosophy and theology to prepare for his ordination to the priesthood. |
| He was ordained in 1726 and from 1729 to 1735 he taught philosophy at the abbey school. |
| He was sent by his abbot to the University of Salzburg to study theology and in 1733 he earned a PhD. |
| From 1736 to 1741 he served pastor of a local parish. |
| In 1741 he became prior of the abbey but later returned to parish work. |
| While working in the parish he was responsible for the management of farms it owned. |
| He became interested in water conduits and electricity on the farm and began a series of successful experiments. |
| Benjamin Franklin invented the first lightning rod in 1752 but it didn't work well because it wasn't grounded. |
| In 1754 Divis invented the first grounded lightning rod. |
| Sometime before 1750, he invented first electrified musical instrument, known as a Denis d'or. |
| Unfortunately the instrument has disappeared and the papers describing it are not complete. |
| It seems to have been on the order of a clavichord with 790 strings that were not struck. |
| The device had 14 registers, a keyboard and a complex mechanism and it reportedly could imitate a wide range of instruments. |
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