Large branchiopod studies were born and bred in the Danube basin in some Eastern European countries (the former Czechoslovakia, Hungary, and Romania). The leading expert was the late Dr. Ján Brtek in Slovakia. Large branchiopods are usually habitants of such temporary lakes and ponds as inland bodies of fresh, mineralized, salt water or hypersaline. This article has two distinct goals: (1) to review the history of large branchiopod studies and (2) to draw attention to some of the scientific interest and value of ephemeral aquatic habitats, introducing my reminiscences of Dr. Brtek.