Defenestrations of Prague
Encyclopedia
The Defenestration
s of Prague
were two incidents in the history of Bohemia
. The first occurred in 1419 and the second in 1618, although the term "Defenestration of Prague" more commonly refers to the latter incident. Both helped to trigger prolonged conflict within Bohemia and beyond. Defenestration
is the act of throwing someone or something out of a window (from the Latin
: de: out of, with a downward motion implied; fenestra: window).
Jan Želivský
, a Hussite
priest
at the church of the Virgin Mary of the Snows, led his congregation on a procession through the streets of Prague to the New Town Hall (Novoměstská radnice
) on Charles Square. The town council members had refused to exchange their Hussite prisoners. While they were marching, a stone was thrown at Želivský from the window of the town hall. The mob became enraged at this event and, led by Jan Žižka
, stormed the town hall. Once inside the hall, the group threw the judge, the burgomaster
, and some thirteen members of the town council out of the window and into the street, where they were killed by the fall or dispatched by the mob.
King Václav IV (Wenceslas in English, Wenzel in German), upon hearing this news, was so stunned that he died a little time after, supposedly due to the shock.
The procession was a result of the growing discontent at the contemporary direction of the Church and the inequality between the peasants and the Church's prelates, and the nobility. This discontentment combined with rising feelings of nationalism and increased the influence of radical preachers such as Jan Želivský, influenced by Wycliff, who saw the current state of the Catholic Church as corrupt. These preachers urged their congregations to action, including taking up arms, to combat these perceived transgressions.
The First Defenestration was thus the turning point between talk and action leading to the prolonged Hussite Wars
. The wars broke out shortly afterward and lasted until 1436.
The Defenestration of Prague served as the kick off for the Thirty Years' War
.
King Rudolf II of Bohemia (and Hungary) is the figure that began this issue. He ruled from 1576-1612. During his reign, he granted Bohemia the religious freedoms in the Letter of Majesty that they claimed to be defending in the Bohemian Rebellion. However, "Bohemia's religious freedoms originated with the Hussites and depended on the autonomy of its estates, dominated by the towns and rural nobility." Rudolf was not very concerned with disrupting this system during his reign. The Bohemian estates governed themselves for the most part and so had no official religion. There was a significant level of Protestants residing there, however. Rudolf's "heir apparent" was his brother Matthias. Matthias was impatient and attempted to sway Hungary, Moravia, and Austria so that he might attain power before Rudolf's death. He extended his offer of more legal and religious concessions to Bohemia and they made him King in 1612 (before Rudolf had passed).
Matthias ruled from 1612 to 1619. His heir was Ferdinand
(Duke of Styria, a Catholic, and another impatient usurper. Ferdinand was Matthias' cousin and also attempted to claim power before the aging Mattias had passed. By 1617, he was acting as King in almost every aspect of the role except in title. Ferdinand began placing Catholic in roles of power in Prague almost immediately. In 1617, these Roman Catholic officials ordered the cessation of construction of some Protestant chapels on land of which the Catholic clergy claimed ownership. Protestants contended the land in question was royal, rather than property of the Catholic Church, and was thus available for their own use. Protestants interpreted the cessation order as a violation of the right to freedom of religious expression granted in the Letter of Majesty issued by Emperor Rudolf II in 1609. They also feared that the fierce Catholic Emperor Ferdinand would revoke the Protestant rights altogether once he came to the throne.
, who had been deprived of his post as Castellan of Karlstadt by the Emperor. The Protestant Lords' agenda was to clarify whether or not the four regents present were responsible for persuading King Matthias to write a letter which ultimately removed the religious freedoms that had been granted with the Letter of Majesty. According to Martiniz himself, "Lord Paul Rziczan read aloud... a letter with the follwing approximate content: His Imperial Majesty had sent to their graces the lord regents a sharp letter that was, by our request, issued to us as a copy after the original had been read aloud, and in which His Majesty declared all of our lives and honor already forfeit, thereby greatly frightening all three Protestant estates. As they also absolutely intended to proceed with the execution against us, we came to a unanimous agreement among ourselves that, regardless of any loss of life and limb, honor and property, we would stand firm, with all for one and one for all... nor would we be subservient, but rather we would loyally help and protect each other to the utmost, against all difficulties. Because, however, it is clear that such a letter came about through the advice of some of our religious enemies, we wish to know, and hereby ask the lord regents present, if all or some of them knew of the letter, recommended it, and approved of it."
Before the regents gave any answer, they requested that the Protestants give them the opportunity to confer with their superior, Adam von Waldstein, who was not present. If they were given the opportunity, the Protestants would get an official answer to their grievance by the next Friday (seeing as this was all taking place on the eve of Ascension Day and they all must observe the holy day). The Protestants would not accept this run around and demanded an immediate answer. The first two, Adam von Sternberg and Matthew Leopold Popel Lobcowitz, were decided innocent by the Protestant Estate holders and too pious to have any responsibility in the letter's creation. They in turn were removed from the room, however before leaving, the supreme burgrave (Adam II von Sternberg) made it clear that they "did not advise anything that was contrary to the Letter of Majesty." This left only Count Vilem Slavata
, Count Jarolslaw Martinitz (who had replaced Thurn as Castellan), known Catholic hard-liners, and the secretary to the Regents. They eventually claimed responsibility for the letter and, asuming they were only going to be arrested, welcomed any punishment the Protestants had planned. The Lord Count von Thurn turned to both Martiniz and Slavata and said "you are enemies of us and of our religion, have desired to deprive us of our Letter of Majesty, have horribly plagued your Protestant subjects... and have tried to force them to adopt your religion against their wills or have had them expelled for this reason." Then to the crowd of Protestants, he continued "were we to keep these men alive, then we would lose the Letter of Majesty and our religion... for there can be no justice to be gained from or by them." Soon after, the Regents were thrown out the third floor window along with the Regents' secretary, Philipus Fabricius. Some texts say they fell 70 feet (21 meters) and landed on a large pile of manure
in a dry moat and survived. Philip Fabricius was later ennobled by the emperor and granted the title Baron von Hohenfall (literally "Baron of Highfall").
eers asserted that their survival had more to do with the horse excrement in which they landed than the benevolent acts of the angels.
Soon after he was officially crowned upon Matthias' death in 1619, Ferdinand II was deposed by the Bohemian rebels. They replaced him with Frederick V, a Calvinist, who wasn't very successful. Ferdinand annulled this election on January 29, 1620. To add insult to injury, on November 8, 1620 Ferdinand outlawed Protestantism, executed the Bohemian rebel leaders, and confiscated their estates. Though the Defenestration of Prague was ultimately unsuccessful in its immediate motives, it served as a spark that began what would be known as the Bohemian Revolt and further, the Thirty Years' War.
A defenestration (chronologically the second defenestration of Prague, sometimes called one-and-halfth defenestration) happened on 24 September 1483, when a violent overthrow of the municipal governments of the Old and New Towns ended with throwing the Old-Town portreeve
and the bodies of seven killed aldermen
out of the windows of the respective town halls.
Sometimes, the name the third defenestration of Prague is used, although it has no standard meaning. For example, it has been used to describe the death of Jan Masaryk
, who was found below the bathroom window of the building of the Czechoslovak
Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 10 March 1948. The official report listed the death as a suicide, but there have been persistent rumours that he was murdered, either by the nascent Communist government in which he served as Foreign Minister, or by the Soviet secret services.
Defenestration
Defenestration is the act of throwing someone or something out of a window.The term "defenestration" was coined around the time of an incident in Prague Castle in the year 1618. The word comes from the Latin de- and fenestra...
s of Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
were two incidents in the history of Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
. The first occurred in 1419 and the second in 1618, although the term "Defenestration of Prague" more commonly refers to the latter incident. Both helped to trigger prolonged conflict within Bohemia and beyond. Defenestration
Defenestration
Defenestration is the act of throwing someone or something out of a window.The term "defenestration" was coined around the time of an incident in Prague Castle in the year 1618. The word comes from the Latin de- and fenestra...
is the act of throwing someone or something out of a window (from the Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
: de: out of, with a downward motion implied; fenestra: window).
First Defenestration of Prague
The First Defenestration of Prague involved the killing of seven members of the city council by a crowd of radical Czech Hussites on 30 July 1419.Jan Želivský
Jan Želivský
Jan Želivský was a Czech priest and a radical representative of the Hussite reformation.He was a very popular priest, and led the Hussite procession through the streets of Prague that ended in the First Defenestration of Prague, which was one of the events that triggered the Hussite Wars.For a...
, a Hussite
Hussite
The Hussites were a Christian movement following the teachings of Czech reformer Jan Hus , who became one of the forerunners of the Protestant Reformation...
priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
at the church of the Virgin Mary of the Snows, led his congregation on a procession through the streets of Prague to the New Town Hall (Novoměstská radnice
New Town Hall, Prague
The New Town Hall is the administrative centre of Prague's New Town Quarter, or "Nové Město". In 1419 it was the site of the first of the three defenestrations of Prague.-External links:*...
) on Charles Square. The town council members had refused to exchange their Hussite prisoners. While they were marching, a stone was thrown at Želivský from the window of the town hall. The mob became enraged at this event and, led by Jan Žižka
Jan Žižka
Jan Žižka z Trocnova a Kalicha , Czech general and Hussite leader, follower of Jan Hus, was born at small village Trocnov in Bohemia, into a gentried family. He was nicknamed "One-eyed Žižka"...
, stormed the town hall. Once inside the hall, the group threw the judge, the burgomaster
Burgomaster
Burgomaster is the English form of various terms in or derived from Germanic languages for the chief magistrate or chairman of the executive council of a sub-national level of administration...
, and some thirteen members of the town council out of the window and into the street, where they were killed by the fall or dispatched by the mob.
King Václav IV (Wenceslas in English, Wenzel in German), upon hearing this news, was so stunned that he died a little time after, supposedly due to the shock.
The procession was a result of the growing discontent at the contemporary direction of the Church and the inequality between the peasants and the Church's prelates, and the nobility. This discontentment combined with rising feelings of nationalism and increased the influence of radical preachers such as Jan Želivský, influenced by Wycliff, who saw the current state of the Catholic Church as corrupt. These preachers urged their congregations to action, including taking up arms, to combat these perceived transgressions.
The First Defenestration was thus the turning point between talk and action leading to the prolonged Hussite Wars
Hussite Wars
The Hussite Wars, also called the Bohemian Wars involved the military actions against and amongst the followers of Jan Hus in Bohemia in the period 1419 to circa 1434. The Hussite Wars were notable for the extensive use of early hand-held gunpowder weapons such as hand cannons...
. The wars broke out shortly afterward and lasted until 1436.
Background
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
.
King Rudolf II of Bohemia (and Hungary) is the figure that began this issue. He ruled from 1576-1612. During his reign, he granted Bohemia the religious freedoms in the Letter of Majesty that they claimed to be defending in the Bohemian Rebellion. However, "Bohemia's religious freedoms originated with the Hussites and depended on the autonomy of its estates, dominated by the towns and rural nobility." Rudolf was not very concerned with disrupting this system during his reign. The Bohemian estates governed themselves for the most part and so had no official religion. There was a significant level of Protestants residing there, however. Rudolf's "heir apparent" was his brother Matthias. Matthias was impatient and attempted to sway Hungary, Moravia, and Austria so that he might attain power before Rudolf's death. He extended his offer of more legal and religious concessions to Bohemia and they made him King in 1612 (before Rudolf had passed).
Matthias ruled from 1612 to 1619. His heir was Ferdinand
Ferdinand II, Holy Roman Emperor
Ferdinand II , a member of the House of Habsburg, was Holy Roman Emperor , King of Bohemia , and King of Hungary . His rule coincided with the Thirty Years' War.- Life :...
(Duke of Styria, a Catholic, and another impatient usurper. Ferdinand was Matthias' cousin and also attempted to claim power before the aging Mattias had passed. By 1617, he was acting as King in almost every aspect of the role except in title. Ferdinand began placing Catholic in roles of power in Prague almost immediately. In 1617, these Roman Catholic officials ordered the cessation of construction of some Protestant chapels on land of which the Catholic clergy claimed ownership. Protestants contended the land in question was royal, rather than property of the Catholic Church, and was thus available for their own use. Protestants interpreted the cessation order as a violation of the right to freedom of religious expression granted in the Letter of Majesty issued by Emperor Rudolf II in 1609. They also feared that the fierce Catholic Emperor Ferdinand would revoke the Protestant rights altogether once he came to the throne.
The Defenestration
On 23 May 1618, four Catholic Lord Regents, namely Jarolslaw Martiniz, Count Vilem Slavata, Adam II von Sternberg (who was the supreme burgrave), and Matthew Leopold Popel Lobcowitz (who was the grand prior) arrived at the Bohemian Chancellory at 8:30am. After preparing the meeting hall, an assembly of the three main Protestant estates gathered at 9:00am, led by Count ThurnJindrich Matyas Thurn
Jindřich Matyáš Thurn-Valsassina , was a leading Bohemian nobleman, one of leaders against Ferdinand II of Bohemia and in events that led to the Thirty Years War, and in the end a...
, who had been deprived of his post as Castellan of Karlstadt by the Emperor. The Protestant Lords' agenda was to clarify whether or not the four regents present were responsible for persuading King Matthias to write a letter which ultimately removed the religious freedoms that had been granted with the Letter of Majesty. According to Martiniz himself, "Lord Paul Rziczan read aloud... a letter with the follwing approximate content: His Imperial Majesty had sent to their graces the lord regents a sharp letter that was, by our request, issued to us as a copy after the original had been read aloud, and in which His Majesty declared all of our lives and honor already forfeit, thereby greatly frightening all three Protestant estates. As they also absolutely intended to proceed with the execution against us, we came to a unanimous agreement among ourselves that, regardless of any loss of life and limb, honor and property, we would stand firm, with all for one and one for all... nor would we be subservient, but rather we would loyally help and protect each other to the utmost, against all difficulties. Because, however, it is clear that such a letter came about through the advice of some of our religious enemies, we wish to know, and hereby ask the lord regents present, if all or some of them knew of the letter, recommended it, and approved of it."
Before the regents gave any answer, they requested that the Protestants give them the opportunity to confer with their superior, Adam von Waldstein, who was not present. If they were given the opportunity, the Protestants would get an official answer to their grievance by the next Friday (seeing as this was all taking place on the eve of Ascension Day and they all must observe the holy day). The Protestants would not accept this run around and demanded an immediate answer. The first two, Adam von Sternberg and Matthew Leopold Popel Lobcowitz, were decided innocent by the Protestant Estate holders and too pious to have any responsibility in the letter's creation. They in turn were removed from the room, however before leaving, the supreme burgrave (Adam II von Sternberg) made it clear that they "did not advise anything that was contrary to the Letter of Majesty." This left only Count Vilem Slavata
Vilem Slavata of Chlum
Vilém Slavata z Chlumu a Košumberka was a Czech nobleman from old Bohemian family. As viceregent of Emperor Ferdinand II of Habsburg he became famous as co-victim, along with Jaroslav Borzita of Martinice, of the 1618 Defenestration of Prague.-Life:Vilém was born at his family's estates in...
, Count Jarolslaw Martinitz (who had replaced Thurn as Castellan), known Catholic hard-liners, and the secretary to the Regents. They eventually claimed responsibility for the letter and, asuming they were only going to be arrested, welcomed any punishment the Protestants had planned. The Lord Count von Thurn turned to both Martiniz and Slavata and said "you are enemies of us and of our religion, have desired to deprive us of our Letter of Majesty, have horribly plagued your Protestant subjects... and have tried to force them to adopt your religion against their wills or have had them expelled for this reason." Then to the crowd of Protestants, he continued "were we to keep these men alive, then we would lose the Letter of Majesty and our religion... for there can be no justice to be gained from or by them." Soon after, the Regents were thrown out the third floor window along with the Regents' secretary, Philipus Fabricius. Some texts say they fell 70 feet (21 meters) and landed on a large pile of manure
Manure
Manure is organic matter used as organic fertilizer in agriculture. Manures contribute to the fertility of the soil by adding organic matter and nutrients, such as nitrogen, that are trapped by bacteria in the soil...
in a dry moat and survived. Philip Fabricius was later ennobled by the emperor and granted the title Baron von Hohenfall (literally "Baron of Highfall").
Aftermath
Roman Catholic Imperial officials claimed that the three men survived due to the mercy of angels assisting the righteousness of the Catholic cause. Protestant pamphletPamphlet
A pamphlet is an unbound booklet . It may consist of a single sheet of paper that is printed on both sides and folded in half, in thirds, or in fourths , or it may consist of a few pages that are folded in half and saddle stapled at the crease to make a simple book...
eers asserted that their survival had more to do with the horse excrement in which they landed than the benevolent acts of the angels.
Soon after he was officially crowned upon Matthias' death in 1619, Ferdinand II was deposed by the Bohemian rebels. They replaced him with Frederick V, a Calvinist, who wasn't very successful. Ferdinand annulled this election on January 29, 1620. To add insult to injury, on November 8, 1620 Ferdinand outlawed Protestantism, executed the Bohemian rebel leaders, and confiscated their estates. Though the Defenestration of Prague was ultimately unsuccessful in its immediate motives, it served as a spark that began what would be known as the Bohemian Revolt and further, the Thirty Years' War.
Further defenestrations
More events of defenestration have occurred in Prague during its history, but they are not usually called defenestrations of Prague.A defenestration (chronologically the second defenestration of Prague, sometimes called one-and-halfth defenestration) happened on 24 September 1483, when a violent overthrow of the municipal governments of the Old and New Towns ended with throwing the Old-Town portreeve
Portreeve
A portreeve, or 'port warden' is a historical British political appointment with a fluctuating role which evolved over time.The origins of the position are in the reign of Edward the Elder, who, in order to ensure that taxes were correctly exacted, forbade the conducting of trades outside of a...
and the bodies of seven killed aldermen
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
out of the windows of the respective town halls.
Sometimes, the name the third defenestration of Prague is used, although it has no standard meaning. For example, it has been used to describe the death of Jan Masaryk
Jan Masaryk
Jan Garrigue Masaryk was a Czech diplomat and politician and Foreign Minister of Czechoslovakia from 1940 to 1948.- Early life :...
, who was found below the bathroom window of the building of the Czechoslovak
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 10 March 1948. The official report listed the death as a suicide, but there have been persistent rumours that he was murdered, either by the nascent Communist government in which he served as Foreign Minister, or by the Soviet secret services.
External links
- Descendants of those defenestrated include Ferdinand II of PortugalFerdinand II of PortugalFerdinand of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha , named Prince Ferdinand Augustus Francis Anthony of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha-Koháry, was King of Portugal as husband of Queen Maria II of Portugal from the birth of their son in 1837 to her death in 1853.In keeping with Portuguese law, only after the birth of his son in...
, Sophie Chotek, and Johann Josef I, Prince of Liechtenstein.