Disease prevention has an equally long history as treatment. An important place in the history of hygiene is held by ancient cultures and industrial civilization. The beginnings of hygiene as a medical discipline date back to te second half of the 19th century, advances in the Austro-Hungarian monarchy were however somewhat slower than in other European countries. In Bohemia the development of modern hygiene was hastened after the establishment of independent Czechos- lovakia. An important deed was also the foundation of the National Institute of Public Health and its branches. In the fifties of the 20th century the hygiene service was founded. It played an important role in the control of health protection. During the last decade it expanded its work by programmes of health promotion and disease prevention, monitoring of relations between health and environment, evaluation of health risks and systemic quality control of laboratory work. There are many ways how to improve further the work and prestige of the hygiene service. Contemporary tasks of hygiene comprise in addition to supervising activities preparations for entering the European Union, meeting the action plan of health and enviroment and implementation of the European strategy Health 21. The position of the hygiene service will be modified by the long expected act on protection of health.

        Key words: history of hygiene - contemporary position of hygiene - perspectives