Defenestration’s of Prague

The defenestration’s of Prague refer to a period of time when it was not uncommon to throw officials / politicians out of a window if you were unhappy with them. Something I’m sure we have all fantasied about!

The first defenestration occurred in 1419. A priest by the name of Jan Želivský led his congregation through the streets of Prague. He wanted exchange of Hussite prisoners. The council refused. While marching, Želivský was struck by a stone thrown from the New Town Hall. Enraged, they stormed the Town Hall and defenestrated (threw from a window) a Judge, the Burgomaster (master of the town) and several council members. All died from the fall.

As you can see from the picture below, the New Town Hall is pretty tall!

This event was considered so shocking King Wenceslaus IV died of shock shortly after hearing of the news.

The next defenestration occurred in 1483. On September 24th, the Communion under both kinds party, fearing for their waning influence, carried out a violent and bloody coup in the Old and New Town of Prague. Again the Burgomaster and seven New Town Councillors were lobbed out the window. Seems being a Burgomaster in Prague was a dangerous occupation!

The Main Defenestration

May 23rd, 1618. Four Catholic Lord Regents arrive at the Chancellery at 8.30 am. At 9am members of the Protestant estates arrive for a meeting. They are led by Count Thurn, who had recently been deposed as burgrave (Governor) of Karlštejn Castle by the Emperor. They want to know if the four Lord Regents had responsibility for persuading the Emperor to order the cessation of Protestant church construction on Royal lands.

Count Jaroslav Bořita of Martinice, one of the Catholic Lords, takes up the story:

Lord Paul Rziczan read aloud… a letter with the following 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 honour 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, honour 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 Catholic Lords gave any answer, they wished to confer with their superior, who was not present. They promised to to give an official answer by the next friday.

The Protestant Lords refused. They wanted an answer now.

Before continuing, it was decided that two of the Catholic Lords, Adam II von Sternberg and Matthew Leopold Popel Lobkowitz were innocent of any wrong doing. They were considered too pious to be involved.

This left only Count Vilem Slavata of Chlum and Count Jaroslav Bořita of Martinice (he had replaced Thurm as governor of Karlštejn Castle) plus Philipp Fabricius, their Secretary. They eventually admitted their part in the letter and accepted their fate.

Count von Thurn addressed the room and the accused:

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.

He continued, addressing the crowds:

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.

In good time the 3 accused were led to the top of the building and defenestrated. Somehow, all three men survived the 70 foot (21 meter) fall.

Catholics maintained they were saved by angels or the Virgin Mary. Protestants however, asserted it was because they landed in a dung heap!

And this is where the defenestration’s end. Or not quite. It happened once more, in 1948.

The 1948 Defenestration of Jan Masaryk

Jan Masaryk was the Foreign Minister at the time of his death. He was found dead below the bathroom window of the Czechoslovak Ministry of Foreign Affairs building on the 10th of March 1948. The official report of the time listed his death as suicide.

However, a police report in 2004 used forensic evidence to prove that he had been defenestrated. His killer has never been identified.

Sources:

The Defenestration’s of Prague (americaninprague.eu)

The Diet of Worms and the Defenestration of Prague (web.archive.org)

Defenestration’s of Prague (wikipedia.org)

Police close case on 1948 death of Jan Masaryk (english.radio.cz)

Header Image (pixabay.com)