Ep. 175: Hussite Revolt (1419-1434) - Death and Defenestration
History of the Germans
Dirk Hoffmann-Becking
4.9 • 550 Ratings
🗓️ 1 January 2025
⏱️ 36 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
The Bohemians had already protested against the treatment of Jan Hus when he was arrested and anger was brewing throughout his trial. Hus hadn’t come to Constance on his own. Several noblemen, including the brave knight John of Chlum had come along to support him. One these man, Petr Mladenovics returned to Prague shortly after the trial and recounted the proceedings in every little detail, complete with copies of letters and other documents.
And from that the Bohemians concluded that there had been foul play. Lawrence of Brezowa summarized the view in Prague as follows: quote “Then on Saturday,[..], 6 July, Master Jan Hus, the scholarly bachelor of Holy Scripture, a man of shining virtue in life and morality and a faithful preacher of the gospel was sentenced to death and unjustly vilified by the Council of Constance. This was based upon the false testimony of the witnesses and the relentless instigations of master Štěpán z Pálče, doctor of Holy Scriptures and Michael de Causis, parish priest of St. Voijtech,[..] representing the Czech clergy and the influence of king Sigismund. This was done despite the fact that he was not given a proper hearing in which to prove his innocence”
Bohemian Protest on Display | Rare Books & Manuscripts
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Hello and welcome to the history of the Germans, episode 175, death and defenestration, |
| 0:15.9 | the Hussite Revolt, also episode 12 of season 8, the Reformation before the Reformation. |
| 0:21.9 | Quote, then on September 2 of that same year, Marquess's barons, nobles and other high-ranking |
| 0:29.4 | persons of the Kingdom of Bohemia and the Margraviate of Moravia wrote letters under their own |
| 0:34.4 | seal to the Council of Constance for the unjust and unlawful |
| 0:38.8 | sentencing to death of Master Jan Hus. They claimed that the council had condemned him |
| 0:44.5 | as an unrepentant heretic at the accusations, slanders and instigations of the mortal enemies |
| 0:51.3 | of the Bohemian kingdom, despite not having proven against him any errors |
| 0:55.6 | or heresies. |
| 0:57.4 | And that, having condemned him, they punished him with the most harsh and shameful death |
| 1:02.5 | to the undying infamy and disgrace of the most Christian Czech kingdom. |
| 1:09.6 | Whoever, no matter what status, eminence or title, no matter his condition, position, |
| 1:14.9 | or professed religiosity, had said or claimed that the alleged heiress and heresies had |
| 1:20.9 | evolved in the kingdom of Bohemia was lying and was a scoundrel, a villain and a most |
| 1:27.3 | perfidious traitor, and such a man was |
| 1:30.0 | himself a most pernicious heretic and son of all malice and depravity, and even of the |
| 1:36.3 | devil who is a liar and the father of lies." |
| 1:40.8 | That letter, complete with 425 seals of many of the great nobles of Bohemia, arrived |
| 1:48.4 | in Constance in the autumn of 1415. |
| 1:52.3 | And did it change the attitude of the great princes of the church? |
| 1:56.5 | Was there room for reconciliation between the reformers in Prague and those in Constance. Well, let's |
| 2:02.7 | find out. But before we start, just some Christmas-related things. Yes, I did get some lovely |
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