Габриэль Грубер: Иезуит, ғалым және инженер

Superior General of the Society of Jesus

Gabriel Gruber, SJ (4 May 1740 – 7 April 1805) was an Austrian Jesuit and polymath of Slovenian descent. Aside from his classical formation for the priesthood, his interests ranged across agriculture, architecture, astronomy, engineering, hydrology, physics, chemistry and art. Between 1773 and 1784 he was the engineer at the court of Emperor Joseph II. Having moved to Russia, where Vatican law did not apply, he was welcomed at the Court of Catherine the Great as an engineer and saw there an opportunity to resume his ministerial career among his exiled Jesuit brethren. He became the second Superior General of the Society of Jesus in Russia during the Holy See's suppression of the Society in Europe and its colonies and manifested great political skill in safeguarding the survival of the Jesuit order.

Gabriel Gruber, born in Vienna to a Slovenian family. His father was an armourer by trade. In 1755 he entered the Society of Jesus, aged 15. His three younger brothers, Anton, Johann Nepomuk and Tobias, also followed him into the Jesuits. His initial formation and studies took place in Austria, including Latin and Greek in Leoben (1757–1758), theology, philosophy and mathematics in Graz (1758–60), languages in Vienna (1760–61), mathematics at Trnava Jesuit university then in Hungary (1761–62), and again theology in Vienna (1763–67). In addition he undertook special studies in drawing, painting, music, mathematics, physics and medicine (specialising in surgery). During 1761 62 and 1762 63 he took up courses in astronomy and in civilian and military architecture. During 1767 1768 while in Judenburg he completed his tertianship. Between 1772 and 1780, the construction of the Gruber Canal proceeded to his plans, in order to improve the outflow of water from the Ljubljana Marsh and thus to protect the city of Ljubljana from flooding. The works were carried out under his supervision until 1777, when he was replaced by Vincenzo Struppi, due to large increases in expenses and even doubts about his integrity. At the same time, he was the architect and builder of the Gruber Palace — a vast rococo edifice which was originally his mansion — used for his research in physics and hydraulics. It also had an astronomical observatory. In 1887 the palace was bought by the Carniolan Savings Bank and since 1965 it has housed the Slovenian archives.

From 1772 until 1781 Gruber was the director of the navigation department in Ljubljana, which took custody of the improvement of navigation on the Sava, the Kolpa and the Ljubljanica rivers. After the Suppression of the Society of Jesus by Pope Clement XIV, in 1773, Gruber remained as engineer at the court of Emperor Joseph II until 1784.

In 1785, Gruber went to Polotsk, a border city between the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth and the Russian Empire to rejoin the Society of Jesus and became a member of the Jesuit community in Russia. Gruber was an active engineer, chemist, architect, painter, mechanic and physicist. Under his influence, the Jesuit College in Polotsk became a famous academy of technical science. He was influential in the court of Catherine the Great, and was close to her son and successor Tsar Paul I, at whose request he reorganized the technical training in the whole Russian empire. In 1800 Gruber became the first rector of the Aristocratic College at the Saint Petersburg State University. The 'Fathers of the Faith' an independent group of ex jesuits received affiliation in 1805. Contacts were established with the ex Jesuits of Maryland (USA). In 1804, the existence of the Jesuits was officially recognized in Naples and Gruber became 'Superior General of the Society of Jesus in Russia and Naples'. Plans were afoot to send an overland mission to China when Gruber died from smoke inhalation from an accidental fire at his Saint Petersburg residence on April 7, 1805.