What was the name of the abbot who encouraged Mendel's experiments?

The abbot who encouraged Mendel’s experiments was Cyril Napp. Napp led the Augustinian monastery of St. Thomas in Brno and recognized Mendel’s abilities in science, mathematics, and teaching.

Napp’s support was important because Mendel’s religious responsibilities and limited finances had made advanced education difficult. He helped send Mendel to the University of Vienna in 1851, where Mendel received rigorous training in mathematics and the natural sciences. After Mendel returned to Brno, the monastery provided the setting and resources for his work with pea plants.

Mendel’s experiments ran from 1856 to 1863 and examined how contrasting traits appeared across generations. Napp did not formulate Mendel’s laws of inheritance, but his encouragement created the conditions in which the research could happen. Napp’s full name is often given as Cyril František Napp, and historical sources may spell the first name as Cyrill.