The Defenestration of Prague

The Defenestration of Prague

• On May 23rd, 1618, Villem Slavata, the president of the Bohemian treasury and minister of finances, was thrown out of a window after 9am on a Wednesday.
• Slavata, considered the richest and most important man in Bohemia, was married to a wealthy woman.
• His friend Jaroslav was also thrown out of the window, but after asking for mercy, which was not granted.
• Slavata survived the fall, but was struck by a sword and fell to a lower window level.
• Fabricius, the secretary, was also thrown out of the window.
• Martinez, who survived, crawled to Slavata to help him escape, but accidentally wounded himself with his sword.

Aftermath

• Slavata, Martinez, and Fabricius fled to the castle of Labkovic, but the owner was not home.
• Slavata's wife helped them escape.
• Fabricius, injured, fled to the Roman Pope for aid.
• Martinez escaped to Germany to inform them about the situation.

Consequences

• The event led to the Bohemian War, a 30-year long conflict.
• The war resulted in the loss of 8 million lives in Germany and the Czech Republic.