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Prof. Lumír Kule, who contributed significantly to the development of the field of Electrical Drives and Power Electronics, left us on Tuesday, April 2 at the age of 98.

Professor Kule was a true father of Czechoslovak drive engineers. Throughout his life, he shaped electrical engineering not only in Pilsen but in the whole Czech Republic with his talent, diligence, and dedication to the field. His professional career began in 1953 when he joined the Electrical Engineering Plant of the Plzeň Škoda Plant. He gradually rose through the ranks and, in 1958, became the company's chief designer. During his time there, he introduced many innovative processes and initiatives that influenced the entire industry.

His work was not limited to industrial practice but also significantly contributed to education and scientific research. Professor Kule began his teaching career in 1958 and gradually worked his way up to the professor position. His lectures were inspiring to students, and his expertise was invaluable. For example, he founded a new field of study - Power Electronics, whose curriculum is still used throughout the Czech and Slovak Republics.

In 1963, he completed a study internship at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, which further enriched his experience and knowledge, which he then applied in his work in the former Czechoslovakia. In 1965, he initiated the establishment of the "Joint Workplace" at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, the first institution of its kind in our country, where the most urgent current theoretical and development problems were solved.

Prof. Kule was not only an outstanding scientist and teacher but also a passionate gardener in his private life. His "tasting" days, when his colleagues graded the apples in his garden, were very popular. He was also the chronicler of the village of Kozolupy, where he lived most of his life.

Prof. Kule's legacy will endure in the countless professionals he educated, the books he wrote, and the technological innovations he initiated. His work and dedication to the field of electrical drives have become legendary and remain an inspiration to all his colleagues at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering at the University of West Bohemia.