In 1868, Mendel was elected of the monastery. While this was a high honor, the administrative duties effectively ended his days of intensive research. He spent his final years in a long-running legal battle with the government over new taxes imposed on religious institutions. When he passed away in 1884, he was remembered more as a dedicated and beloved religious leader than the scientist who had unlocked the secrets of DNA.
Despite his brilliance, Mendel struggled with the pressure of formal examinations. He attempted to become a certified high school teacher twice and failed both times, specifically struggling with the biology and geology sections. This "failure" actually kept him at the abbey, where he had the time and resources to begin his eight-year study on the inheritance of traits in pea plants. 4. He Was an Expert Beekeeper and Meteorologist
Mendel didn't have to hide his "secular" interests. His superior, , was a scholar himself and a member of various agricultural societies. Napp believed that the monastery should be a center for scientific advancement. He was the one who encouraged Mendel to study the heredity of sheep and later built the greenhouse where the famous pea experiments took place. 3. He Failed His Teaching Exams Twice
Mendel’s life reminds us that great breakthroughs often happen in the most quiet, unexpected places. His work lay largely ignored for 35 years after his death, but the foundations he laid in that monastery garden eventually changed the world forever.
Peas weren't his only passion. As a monk, Mendel was deeply involved in the daily operations of the abbey. He was a pioneer in , recording daily weather data for decades, and he was an avid beekeeper . He even designed his own beehives and attempted to cross-breed different species of bees to see if the laws of inheritance he found in plants applied to animals. 5. He Ended His Career in Administration, Not Science
Here are five facts about Mendel’s life at St. Thomas's Abbey that reveal the man behind the Punnett squares. 1. He Became a Monk to Escape Poverty