What was the Defenestration of Prague in 1618?
The Defenestration of Prague in 1618 saw three Catholic officials thrown from a top-floor window of Prague (Hradčany) Castle by an angry mob of Bohemian Protestant activists. The imperial emissaries escaped uninjured, but the events of 23 May 1618 proved to be the catalyst for the bloodiest war in European history, the Thirty Years' War.
What is the history of defenestration in the Czech Republic?
The earliest recorded defenestration in Prague occurred in 1419 at the hands of the Hussites, the followers of religious reformer Jan Hus. Sources report Jan Želivský, a Czech priest, led a crowd of Hussites to the New Town Hall demanding the release of imprisoned supporters.
Was a Czech governor thrown out of a 16-meter-high window?
In May of 1618, several Czech governors were literally thrown out of the window from a 16-meter height of the Prague town hall. The defenestration of 1618 was not the first one that happened in Prague.
What led to the Hussite Wars in Czechia?
So that led to the first defenestration in Prague, when some prominent Catholics were thrown out windows, to fall down on an angry crowd, which killed them. The clashes between Catholics and the followers of Hus, who honored him by naming themselves after him, so they called themselves Hussites, well, that led to the Hussite wars in Czechia.
What was the Defenestration of Prague and why was it significant?
TheThe “Defenestrations of Prague” were significant events in Czech history where political and religious leaders were thrown out the window in protest to their policies. The first Defenestration of Prague in 1419 led to the start of the Hussite Wars.
What was the Defenestration of Prague and what war did it start?
Defenestration of Prague, incident of Bohemian resistance to Habsburg authority that took place on May 23, 1618, preceding the beginning of the Thirty Years' War.
Who was thrown out the window in the Defenestration of Prague?
On May 23, 1618, two imperial regents were tried and found guilty of violating the letters, and they—along with their secretary—were thrown from the windows of the council room of Prague Castle.
What caused the Defenestration of Prague 1618?
He snubbed the Letter of Majesty and denied Protestants permission to build churches in the towns of Broumov and Hrob. Local Protestants were furious. They gathered in Prague in May 1618, to see what the imperial advisors, or burgraves, had to say — and this led to the Defenestration of Prague.
Why is Defenestration a word?
Defenestration is a word for the act of throwing something or someone out of a window. Yes, there's actually a word for that. Fenestra is the Latin word for window. So that's how we came up with defenestration, the frighteningly specific word for throwing someone out a window.
How many times has Prague been defenestrated?
The act of defenestration is, in fact, designed to settle an argument by tossing an opponent out a window and the New York Times author might be forgiven his prejudice given the fact that there are three acknowledged Defenestrations of Prague (1419, 1618, and 1948).
What country is Bohemia now?
the Czech RepublicBohemia is a historical country that was part of Czechoslovakia from 1918 to 1939 and from 1945 to 1992. Since 1993 Bohemia has formed much of the Czech Republic, comprising the central and western portions of the country.
What's the word for throwing someone out of the window?
defenestrationthe act of throwing a person or thing out of a window: The defenestration of the Catholic commissioners in Prague precipitated the Thirty Years' War.
What caused the 30 years war?
The Thirty Years' War, a series of wars fought by European nations for various reasons, ignited in 1618 over an attempt by the king of Bohemia (the future Holy Roman emperor Ferdinand II) to impose Catholicism throughout his domains. Protestant nobles rebelled, and by the 1630s most of continental Europe was at war.
Who won the 30 years war?
There was no winner as the war was concluded in 1648 by the Peace of Westphalia (which also ended the Eighty Years' War between Spain and the Netherlands) a document essentially just restating the same terms as the Peace of Augsburg in 1555 regarding religion.
What were the 4 phases of the 30 years war?
The Thirty Years' War is divided into FOUR PHASES: Bohemian, Danish, Swedish, and French. The Bohemian Phase was purely a local, religious conflict. With each successive phase, the war became more continental in scope, bloodier, and more focused on political power than religion.
Are there still hussites?
Today, the Hussite tradition is represented in the Moravian Church, Unity of the Brethren, and Czechoslovak Hussite Church.
What happened at the Defenestration of Prague and why did it start the 30 years war?
The 1419 Defenestration of Prague 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 and allegedly hit him. This enraged the mob and they stormed the town hall.
What started the Thirty Years War?
Though the struggles of the Thirty Years War erupted some years earlier, the war is conventionally held to have begun in 1618, when the future Holy Roman emperor Ferdinand II attempted to impose Roman Catholic absolutism on his domains, and the Protestant nobles of both Bohemia and Austria rose up in rebellion.
What caused the Thirty Years War?
The Thirty Years' War, a series of wars fought by European nations for various reasons, ignited in 1618 over an attempt by the king of Bohemia (the future Holy Roman emperor Ferdinand II) to impose Catholicism throughout his domains. Protestant nobles rebelled, and by the 1630s most of continental Europe was at war.
Who fought in the Thirty Years War?
It developed into a political struggle between the Catholic Habsburgs of the Holy Roman Empire (Austria, most of the German princes and occasionally Spain). They were opposed by Denmark, Sweden, Catholic France and the Protestant princes of Germany. The war ended with the Peace of Westphalia in 1648.
When did the defenestration of Prague take place?
This defenestration took place on September 24, 1483 during the storms of the Prague population during the reign of King Vladislaus II of Hungary, when the party of the Communion under both kinds, fearing for their influence, carried out a violent coup in the Old and New Towns and Lesser Town.
What is the meaning of "Defenestrations of Prague"?
The Defenestrations of Prague ( Czech: Pražská defenestrace, German: Prager Fenstersturz, Latin: Defenestratio Pragensis) were three incidents in the history of Bohemia in which multiple people were defenestrated (thrown out of a window). Though already existing in Middle French, ...
What is the meaning of the word "defenestrate" in the Czech language?
The Defenestrations of Prague ( Czech: Pražská defenestrace, German: Prager Fenstersturz, Latin: Defenestratio Pragensis) were three incidents in the history of Bohemia in which multiple people were defenestrated (thrown out of a window). Though already existing in Middle French, the word "defenestrate" ...
How long did the Hussite Wars last?
The wars broke out shortly afterward and lasted until 1436.
What did Rudolf do to help Bohemia?
In 1609, to strengthen his hold on Bohemia, Rudolf issued the Letter of Majesty, which granted Bohemia's largely Protestant estates the right to freely exercise their religion, essentially setting up a Protestant Bohemian state church controlled by the estates, "dominated by the towns and rural nobility".
Why did the Protestants not gather the international support they needed for war?
Because they deposed a properly chosen king, the Protestants could not gather the international support they needed for war. Just two years after the defenestration, Ferdinand and the Catholics regained power in the Battle of White Mountain on November 8, 1620. This became known as the first battle in the Thirty Years' War.
What was the principle of the Peace of Augsburg?
In 1555, the Peace of Augsburg had settled religious disputes in the Holy Roman Empire by enshrining the principle of Cuius regio, eius religio , allowing a prince to determine the religion of his subjects. The Kingdom of Bohemia since 1526 had been governed by Habsburg kings, who did not force their Catholic religion on their largely Protestant subjects. In 1609, Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor and King of Bohemia (1576–1612), increased Protestant rights. He was increasingly viewed as unfit to govern, and other members of the Habsburg dynasty declared his younger brother, Matthias, to be family head in 1606. Matthias began to gradually wrest territory from Rudolf, beginning with Hungary. In 1609, to strengthen his hold on Bohemia, Rudolf issued the Letter of Majesty, which granted Bohemia's largely Protestant estates the right to freely exercise their religion, essentially setting up a Protestant Bohemian state church controlled by the estates, "dominated by the towns and rural nobility". Upon Rudolf's death, Matthias succeeded in the rule of Bohemia (1612–1619) and extended his offer of more legal and religious concessions to Bohemia, relying mostly on the advice of his chancellor, Bishop Melchior Klesl.
When was the first mass demonstration in Prague?
When this was refused, they campaigned throughout the land for their supporters to converge on Prague for a mass demonstration. The date was set for 23 May 1618 . Professor Lyndal Roper explores the life of the father of the Reformation, Martin Luther, and considers his impact on Protestant history:
What happened in 1618?
Try 3 issues of BBC History Magazine or BBC History Revealed for only £5! The Defenestration of Prague in 1618 saw three Catholic officials thrown from a top-floor window of Prague (Hradčany) Castle by an angry mob of Bohemian Protestant activists. The imperial emissaries escaped uninjured, but ...
What were the consequences?
We may today be no further forward in solving the mystery of the escaping deputies, but about the effects of their treatment there is no doubt whatsoever. The Defenestration of Prague was the catalyst that activated the worst war in European history, the Thirty Years’ War. The rebels deposed Ferdinand II, set up a provisional assembly and raised an army of 16,000 troops for the nation’s defence. The crown of Bohemia was offered to Frederick V, the Elector Palatine, whose wife was the daughter of James I of England.
What religions were in Bohemia?
As well as Utraquists [a branch of the Hussites who believed that ordinary people, like the clergy, should receive the Eucharist – aka the Holy Communion], the population consisted of Lutheran, Calvinists and Catholics. Peaceful rule there was only possible with a measure of toleration and, in 1609, the Emperor Rudolph II granted freedom of worship to the major religious groups in an edict known as the Letter of Majesty.
How many towns did the Swedish army destroy in Germany?
Cities became empty, smouldering shells. Farmland took a generation to recover. The Swedish army alone destroyed in Germany 1,500 towns; 18,000 villages and 2,000 castles.
When was the spring day in 1618?
What happened there on that fateful spring day – 23 May 1618 – had a long back story and appalling, long-term results.
Who was the king of Bohemia?
King of Bohemia. All was well until Ferdinand, Archduke of Austria, was elected king of Bohemia in 1617 (he later became Emperor Ferdinand II in 1619). He believed passionately – some would say fanatically – that dynastic, territorial and religious unity were inseparable.
What happened after the first defenestration of Prague?
Two centuries after the first Defenestration of Prague, another event happened, and the central motifs are quite similar to the ones the Hussites had in 1419. During that time, the tensions between the old Catholic Church and the newly formed Protestant branches were at an all-time high.
Why did the first defenestration happen in Prague?
The First Defenestration that happened in Prague came as a consequence of the growing inequality in the Bohemian State. The Catholic Church and the accompanying nobility had no compassion for the poor peasants and their terrible life conditions, and Jan Želivsky used the now emerging feelings of national pride to lead people into action.
Why did the Hussites go out on the streets of Prague?
The Hussites, under the command of a priest called Jan Želivsky, went out on the streets of Prague to demonstrate and demand that the Hussites being held captive should immediately be released.
What did the Protestants of Prague mean by the Letter of Majesty?
The Protestants of Prague referred to the Letter of Majesty that was, in a way, a written guarantee that the Protestants can freely practice their religion. However, the situation at the time was far from liberal. The Catholic Church ordered that no Protestant churches will be built anymore.
Who were the two people who were thrown from the windows of Prague?
On May 23, 1618, the governors Vilem Slavata and Jaroslav Bonta were found guilty of disregarding the Right for Freedom of Religion, and they were both thrown from the windows of the Prague City Hall.
What was the second Defenestration?
Defenestrations of Prague were the events that would serve as one of the triggers for the start of the Thirty Year War (1618 - 1648) . In May of 1618, several Czech governors were literally thrown out of the window from a 16-meter height of the Prague town hall.
What was the Defenestration in Prague?
The Defenestration in Prague was largely a Protestant reaction to what they saw as both Catholic and Imperial overreach.
What happened in Prague in 1419?
The first: In 1419, local authorities of the Prague New Town arrested some supporters of a radical Hussite priest Jan Želivský. Želivský and a large crouwd of people then went to the New Town Hall and demanded them being freed. Instead, someone allegedly threw a stone at Želivský from the town hall and hit the monstrance he was carrying, and his enraged supporters stormed the hall and threw the town burgomaster and most of the council members from the windown. Who survived the fall was finished by the crowd, and killed were also other people in the building. This at
What was the first attack on Prague?
The first: In 1419, local authorities of the Prague New Town arrested some supporters of a radical Hussite priest Jan Želivský. Želivský and a large crouwd of people then went to the New Town Hall and demanded them being freed. Instead, someone allegedly threw a stone at Želivský from the town hall and hit the monstrance he was carrying, and his enraged supporters stormed the hall and threw the town burgomaster and most of the council members from the windown. Who survived the fall was finished by the crowd, and killed were also other people in the building. This attack is seen as the first direct attack at the authority of the king and the start of the Hussite wars.
What was the most important event in the 15th century Czech history?
The 1419 defenestration increased the tension as well and is widely cnsidered the beginning of the Hussite wars – almost two decades in which innovative and musical Czech protestant farmers-turned-warriors managed to defeat Catholic armies in numerous battles, before they (the Hussites) lost the fatal Battle of Lipany in 1434. The Hussite wars are the most important “long event” in the 15th century Czech history and an event that affects the Czech national identity.
What is the purpose of defenestration?
The purpose of defenestration – and the meaning of the word – is to “throw someone out of the window” (“de-” is “out of” in Latin, “fenestra” is “a window”), usually in Prague, because the mob finds him (or usually them) inconvenient. There are usually detailed explanations why he or they are inconvenient and what’s the broader purpose of the event. The purpose depends on which defenestration you discuss but some key historical events for Central Europe are usually related to the event. All the classic 2 or 3 defenestrations were ignited by some tensions between Catholics and Protestants or re
What was the purpose of the defensors appointed under the Letter of Majesty?
In response, the defensors, appointed under the Letter of Majesty to safeguard Protestant rights
When did the defenestration of the Old Town occur?
Well, there has been another defenestration in 1483 when post-Hussite folks made a coup in the Old Town, New Town, as well as Lesser Town and threw lots of the representatives out of the window. This defenestration actually succeeded in truncating the king’s powers, made the atmosphere more peaceful, and prevented the return to the pre-Hussite conditions.
Overview
The Defenestrations of Prague (Czech: Pražská defenestrace, German: Prager Fenstersturz, Latin: Defenestratio Pragensis) were three incidents in the history of Bohemia in which people were defenestrated (thrown out of a window). Though already existing in Middle French, the word defenestrate ("out of the window") is believed to have first been used in English in reference to the episodes in Prague in …
The 1419 Defenestration of Prague
The First Defenestration of Prague involved the killing of seven members of the city council by a crowd of Czech Hussites on 30 July 1419.
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 memb…
The 1483 Defenestration of Prague
This defenestration took place on 24 September, 1483 during the storms of the Prague population during the reign of King Vladislaus II of Hungary. He was king of Bohemia at that time but he became the king of Moravia and Hungary only after Matthias Corvinus died in 1490. It was then that the party of the Communion under both kinds, fearing for their influence, carried out a violent coup in the Old and New Towns and Lesser Town. The Old Town Burgomaster and the dead bodies of se…
The 1618 Defenestration of Prague
This defenestration significantly influenced the history of Europe and led to the Thirty Years' War.
In 1555, the Peace of Augsburg had settled religious disputes in the Holy Roman Empire by enshrining the principle of Cuius regio, eius religio, allowing a prince to determine the religion of his subjects. The Kingdom of Bohemia since 1526 …
Further defenestrations
More events of defenestration have occurred in Prague during its history, but they are not usually called defenestrations of Prague.
Sometimes, the name the fourth or 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 Affair…
Long-Simmering Tension Between Catholics and Protestants
How The Defenestration of Prague Unfolded
- On May 23, 1618, four Catholic deputies found themselves facing down an angry crowd of Protestants in the Bohemian Chancellery. The Protestants, led by Count Jindřich Thurn, demanded to know if the burgraves had advised Ferdinand to ignore the Letter of Majesty. Though two of the burgraves pleaded their innocence and were released, the other two were not so lucky. Count Vil…
The Legacy of The Defenestration of Prague
- The Defenestration of Prague acted like a spark in a dry field. Following the incident, a great chasm opened in Europe between Catholic and Protestant states. Bohemia soon erupted into open revolt, deposing Ferdinand II as king and crowning Frederick V, the Calvinist son-in-law of England’s James I. Crisscrossing alliances, religious fervor, and ce...