XVII Czech-Polish seminar

Structural and ferroelectric phase transitions

Znojmo, Czech Republic
May 22 – 26, 2006

The idea of regular scientific meetings of physicist involved in studies of ferroelectrics and phase transitions in Poland and Czechoslovakia followed inevitably from the success of first such event in Blazejewko in 1979. The Seminar was organized in collaborating of the Department of Dielectrics of the Institute of Physics of Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences and the Ferroelectric Lab of the Institute of Molecular Physics of Polish Academy of Sciences. The Seminars are the international forum of presentation of recent results, unconstrained discussions and initiating of joint studies. The Seminars result not only in scientific integration but also in close cooperation and friendship. The XVII Czech-Polish Seminar on Structural and Ferroelectric Phase Transitions was held in Hotel Dukla in Znojmo, a charming town of South Moravia, a typical wine region of the Czech Republic. The program started on Monday morning, May 22 and ended with a lunch on Friday, May 26.

History of the seminars

Scope and Programme

The scientific program of the XVII Czech-Polish seminar was focused on:

• Structural phase transitions and critical phenomena
• Dielectric and microwave properties
• Liquid crystals and polymers
• Characterization of structures
• Non-linear optics and related phenomena
• Advances in theory
• Inelastic light and neutron scattering
• Ferroelectric thin films
• Domains and domain boundaries
• Piezoelectrics and pyroelectrics
• Applications of ferroelectrics and related materials

Seminar Programme

Organizers

Deadlines

Venue

The venue of XVII Czech-Polish seminar was Znojmo, Czech Republic.

The symposium was held in the Hotel Dukla, Holandska street 30.

Town of Znojmo

Znojmo is one of the oldest Czech towns, found on the rocky headland above the Dyje River, close to the Czech-Austrian border. Znojmo is certainly a place of beauty, its topographic relief being unique in the predominantly flat nature of the area. The history of Znojmo started in 1226 when it was promoted to a town. The old centre was surrounded by a fortification wall, a larger part of which is still preserved. The town offers a number of historical sites – the Rotunda of the Virgin Mary and St. Catherine cathedral, which is the second most significant monument in the country after the Prague Castle. At present, Znojmo with its 36 000 inhabitants is a remarkable social, commercial and agricultural centre of South Moravia.

The area has been inhabited since prehistoric times. Numerous archaeological findings date back to the paleolithic, neolithic and bronze periods. During the 7^th and 6^th centuries B.C., a fortification was built in the land carved out by the Dyje river. The importance of the regional centre grew, in the 8^th century the fortification was expanded. Around 1030, a new castle was built by the duke Bretislav I. The settlements were walled in and granted the royal town status by the king Premysl Otakar I around 1226. The stone fortification and numerous privileges contributed to development of crafts and trade. During the 14^th century, despite two fires in 1327 and 1335, extensive building activities were reported, e.g. paved streets, water duct, spa, hospitals, and completion of the town fortification. During the Hussite Wars, the town supported the king Zikmund, who died here in 1437. In the 15^th century, new buildings of economically powerful tradesmen and town aristocracy were constructed. A new town hall with an impressive tower was built between 1445 and 1448 by Mikolas of Sedlesovice. The subsequent renaissance-style redevelopment of the town gave a new character of the residential blocks. Gothic gables were covered with parapets and most of the facades were covered with sgraffiti or outlined embossing. All the monasteries in Znojmo, damaged by fire in 1555, were later restored in baroque style. The construction of the town was interrupted by the Thirty Years War. In 1628, a meeting of the Provincial Assembly in Znojmo issued the Reinstated Provincial Code for Moravia, which meant a strong allegiance to the Habsburg control. During the 17^th century, several disasters happened, like Swedish occupation, siege by the Turks, and a devastating plague. Further development of the town was undertaken in the middle of the 18^th century. The Josephine reforms meant abolition of a number of monasteries in Znojmo. During this period, several armies passed through the town – Russian army on its way to Italy, and French army on its way to Austerlitz (Slavkov). A new development project in 1870 meant historical centre preservation and expansion of the town connected with the railway. In October 1918, the so-called German South Moravia was declared, with Znojmo as a capital. 18^th December 1918, Znojmo became part of Czechoslovakia.