Remember his name. Jan Hus was a Czech theologian and philosopher. He became a church reformer. He inspired Hussitism. Hussitism was a key predecessor to Protestantism. Jan Hus was a seminal figure in the Bohemian Reformation. He is considered the first Church reformer. Some say that John Wycliffe was the first. Jan Hus’s teachings had a strong influence. This influence led to a reformed Bohemian religious denomination. Over a century later, it impacted Martin Luther.
After becoming a Catholic priest, Jan Hus preached in Prague. He opposed many Catholic Church aspects in Bohemia. He questioned its views on ecclesiology and simony. He challenged the Eucharist and other theological topics. Jan Hus was a master, dean, and rector. He held these positions at the Charles University in Prague. He served there between 1409 and 1410.
Alexander V issued a Papal bull. It excommunicated Jan Hus. This excommunication was not enforced initially. Jan Hus continued to preach. Then, Jan Hus spoke out against Alexander V’s successor. He criticized Antipope John XXIII for selling indulgences. Jan Hus’s excommunication was then enforced. He spent the next two years living in exile.
When the Council of Constance convened, Jan Hus was asked to present his views. He was promised safe conduct. He was arrested and imprisoned upon arrival. He was asked to recant his views. He refused. On July 6, 1415, Jan Hus was burned at the stake. He was accused of heresy against the Catholic Church’s teachings.
After Jan Hus’s execution, his followers were known as Hussites. They refused to elect another Catholic monarch. They defeated five consecutive papal crusades. These crusades occurred between 1420 and 1431. This conflict became known as the Hussite Wars. Both Bohemian and Moravian populations remained majority Hussite. This lasted until the 1620s. A Protestant defeat at the Battle of the White Mountain changed this. The Bohemian Crown lands came under Habsburg rule. This lasted for the next 300 years. The population was forced to convert to Catholicism.
Born around 1370, Jan Hus was from Husinec in southern Bohemia. He came from peasant parents. Jan Hus took his name from his village. In Bohemian, “Hus” means “goose.” A century later, he was referenced as a “Bohemian goose” in a dream.
Around the age of 10, Jan Hus was sent to a monastery. He impressed his teachers. They recommended him to Prague. Jan Hus supported himself in Prague. He secured employment. This allowed him to fulfill his basic needs. He also gained access to the Prague Library.
Three years later, he entered the University of Prague. Jan Hus earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1393. He earned his master’s degree in 1396. He began teaching at the University of Prague in 1398. In 1399, he defended Wycliffe’s propositions. He was ordained as a Catholic priest in 1400. In 1402, Jan Hus became a preacher at the Bethlehem Chapel.
Jan Hus denounced clergy, bishops, and the papacy. He spoke from his pulpit about their moral failings. In 1412, Jan Hus spoke out against indulgences. He asserted that no pope or bishop had the right to take up the sword. He said they should pray for their enemies. He believed man obtains forgiveness by true repentance, not money.
By this time, Jan Hus’s ideas had become widely accepted in Bohemia. There was broad resentment against the Church hierarchy. The attack on Jan Hus by the pope and archbishop caused riots. To protect Prague, Jan Hus left. He went into the countryside. He continued to preach and write there.
On July 6, 1415, Jan Hus was condemned. This took place in the presence of the council in the cathedral. He was led into the church. He was dressed in priestly vestments. He was again asked to recant. Again, he refused. Jan Hus’s ornaments were taken from him. His priestly tonsure was destroyed. Jan Hus was led away to the stake. He was under a strong guard of armed men.
Before his execution, Jan Hus declared, “You may kill a weak goose, but more powerful birds, eagles and falcons, will come after me.” At the place of execution, Jan Hus knelt. He spread out his hands and prayed aloud. The executioner undressed Jan Hus. He tied his hands behind his back. His neck was bound with a chain to a stake. Wood and straw were piled up around him.
The Jan Hus Memorial stands at one end of Old Town Square in Prague. The monument depicts victorious Hussite warriors. It also shows Protestants forced into exile. A young mother symbolizes national rebirth. The memorial was unveiled in 1915. It commemorated the 500th anniversary of Jan Hus’s martyrdom.