Abstract
The promotion of science and art was with Emperor Rudolf II. motivated by the needs of representation, which were based on the contemporary ideas of an educated ruler. However, this support was also based on the requirement of renaissance science to achieve complete knowledge of the being (pansofie).
In particular, support for alchemy has become a phenomenon that is famous for the Rudolphine court. However, the results of our research in recent years have made considerable adjustments to our previous ideas.
The legends that about 200 alchemists worked for the Emperor at the Prague Castle were disproved. Although the Emperor often responded positively to requests for support from individual scholars (Michael Sendivogius, Šimon Tadeáš Budek, Edward Kelly etc.), but only exceptionally the applicants managed to obtain a permanent place at the court (Jakub Horčický z Tepence).