Ceramics-Silikáty 37, (4) 205 - 215 (1993)

The following lecture was delivered by the author at a seminar marking his seventieth birthday. Professor Jiři Konta (* 15. 2. 1922) spoke at the invitation of his former students on the theme "My professional life". The seminar was organized by the Czech and Slovak National Clay Group at the Faculty of Sciences, Charles University, Prague. Considering that Professor J. Konta is "the founding father of clay science" in Czechoslovakia, founder of conferences on clay mineralogy and petrology, and co-founder of the National Clay Group (now Society) we deem it appropriate to publish his lecture in "Ceramics" as a contribution to the history of clay science in Czechoslovakia and thus in the Czech Republic. Also his decades-long working liaison with the European and world clay science can captivate the readers.