Prague in Black and Gold: Scenes from the Life of a European City (37 page)
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Authors: Peter Demetz
BOOK: Prague in Black and Gold: Scenes from the Life of a European City
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The Hussite crowds first attacked the fortified dwellings on both sides of the bridge tower, the palace of the archbishop and the so-called Saxon House, and forced the royalists to withdraw to the castle, leaving their horses and weapons behind. Church bells rang all night; the queen decided to leave and handed over power, for all practical purposes, to burgrave
en
k. The next day, a Sunday morning, the Hussites attended mass but in the afternoon marched against Minor Town royalists who, after setting fire again to many buildings, retreated once more while the Hussites savaged the archbishop’s palace. On November 6, about four thousand more Hussites from the south who had survived the ambush crossed the river Sázava, near Prague, and were enthusiastically welcomed in the Old and the New Town; the royalists massed new troops at the castle and in regions outside Prague. The warring factions, now aware of a stalemate of forces, agreed to an armistice to extend to the spring of the following year; the burgrave and his party, pledged to respect Hussite religious practices and “the community of Prague,” was to refrain from further attacks on churches and monasteries and, voluntarily, return the Vyšehrad to the royal troops. The provincial radicals, feeling
de trop,
angrily left town but not before burning the rest of the Minor Town; they marched off to Plze
, which now became the center of radical resistance. Increasingly, violence was answered by violence; in Catholic Kutná Hora, the mostly German miners were eager to take Hussite prisoners, not only clergy but also artisans and peasants. They tortured and
decapitated them or flung them alive into the deep mine shafts; if a Catholic baron wanted to get rid of Hussite prisoners, he could sell them to Kutná Hora to be taken care of. More than 1,600 people perished in that way.
enk. The next day, a Sunday morning, the Hussites attended mass but in the afternoon marched against Minor Town royalists who, after setting fire again to many buildings, retreated once more while the Hussites savaged the archbishop’s palace. On November 6, about four thousand more Hussites from the south who had survived the ambush crossed the river Sázava, near Prague, and were enthusiastically welcomed in the Old and the New Town; the royalists massed new troops at the castle and in regions outside Prague. The warring factions, now aware of a stalemate of forces, agreed to an armistice to extend to the spring of the following year; the burgrave and his party, pledged to respect Hussite religious practices and “the community of Prague,” was to refrain from further attacks on churches and monasteries and, voluntarily, return the Vyšehrad to the royal troops. The provincial radicals, feelingde trop,
angrily left town but not before burning the rest of the Minor Town; they marched off to Plze
, which now became the center of radical resistance. Increasingly, violence was answered by violence; in Catholic Kutná Hora, the mostly German miners were eager to take Hussite prisoners, not only clergy but also artisans and peasants. They tortured anddecapitated them or flung them alive into the deep mine shafts; if a Catholic baron wanted to get rid of Hussite prisoners, he could sell them to Kutná Hora to be taken care of. More than 1,600 people perished in that way.
Holding court in the capital of Moravia, Brno (Brünn), Sigismund first refrained from revealing the full intensity of his feelings about the “Wyclifites,” but, moving to Breslau, in Silesia, he made his views perfectly clear. Upon his wish, Pope Martin V had issued a bull against the Bohemian heretics and had invited all Christians to join a crusade against the Hussites; even before the bull had been read from the pulpits of the Breslau churches, Jan Krása, a patrician Prague merchant visiting the Breslau fair who did not hide his Hussite ideas, was denounced to the church authorities and, after he had refused to recant, by Sigismund’s order was dragged through the streets by four horses and burned. The Bohemians had little to hope for, as far as Sigismund was concerned, and even less to negotiate about. In Prague, Jan Želivský preached belligerent sermons, and in the countryside, fired by visionary priests who spoke of the coming of the revenging Lord, the peasants sought protection in towns dominated by Hussites.
In the south, the radical Hussites left Ústí, at the Lužnice River, when it became militarily untenable, and established a new, fortified settlement not far away. They laid siege to the castle of Hradišt
, returned it to its rightful lord,
sub utraque specie,
and founded, on the fundaments of an older village, a new community called Tábor again. It attracted peasants, artisans, and radical gentry from all over the region and quickly gained in strength and respect when the radical Hussites and Jan Žižka, leaving Plze
to the royalists, marched south and joined the brethren and sisters at the new place. Being the New Jerusalem of radical and militant Hussites, Tábor was run by priests eager to denounce and persecute deviationists on the right and left, and by military commanders in charge of several thousand soldiers; even though the early communism of “common chests” did not survive for long, Táborite religious fervor lived on in many shapes and forms for centuries—even though the Tábor armies were defeated by moderate Hussites in 1434 and never reasserted their might in the field again.
, returned it to its rightful lord,sub utraque specie,
and founded, on the fundaments of an older village, a new community called Tábor again. It attracted peasants, artisans, and radical gentry from all over the region and quickly gained in strength and respect when the radical Hussites and Jan Žižka, leaving Plze
to the royalists, marched south and joined the brethren and sisters at the new place. Being the New Jerusalem of radical and militant Hussites, Tábor was run by priests eager to denounce and persecute deviationists on the right and left, and by military commanders in charge of several thousand soldiers; even though the early communism of “common chests” did not survive for long, Táborite religious fervor lived on in many shapes and forms for centuries—even though the Tábor armies were defeated by moderate Hussites in 1434 and never reasserted their might in the field again.The announcement of the crusade and the death of the Prague merchant Jan Krása in Breslau made the situation more volatile than ever, with
Catholics scurrying for protection and Hussites girding for the ultimate battle. The Catholic clergy, high and low, and well-to-do patricians, many of them German, as well as a few conservative town councillors, ran for cover to the royal castles at Hrad
any and the Vyšehrad, which they thought to be more secure; the Hussites, on April 3, 1420, gathered at the Old Town hall to take a solemn oath to defend the chalice against all enemies, reminded everybody of the “ancient Czech forefathers and St. Wenceslas,” and ordered that a long, deep ditch be dug to defend the New Town against royalists from the Vyšehrad. Work on the ditch lasted for five days, and even the Jews, the chroniclers remarked, participated in the common enterprise.
Catholics scurrying for protection and Hussites girding for the ultimate battle. The Catholic clergy, high and low, and well-to-do patricians, many of them German, as well as a few conservative town councillors, ran for cover to the royal castles at Hrad
any and the Vyšehrad, which they thought to be more secure; the Hussites, on April 3, 1420, gathered at the Old Town hall to take a solemn oath to defend the chalice against all enemies, reminded everybody of the “ancient Czech forefathers and St. Wenceslas,” and ordered that a long, deep ditch be dug to defend the New Town against royalists from the Vyšehrad. Work on the ditch lasted for five days, and even the Jews, the chroniclers remarked, participated in the common enterprise.On April 15, the burgrave
en
k of Wartenberk, who had long hoped to negotiate, returned from Breslau, where he had had a chance to watch the emperor at close range and, to the great joy of the Hussites, organized a revolt of his own: after taking command of Hrad
any Castle he arrested all Catholic priests who had sought refuge there, drove out the patricians and their families (keeping their possessions), and assured the town councillors that he was on their side, commanding the castle in the name of the Hussites.
enk of Wartenberk, who had long hoped to negotiate, returned from Breslau, where he had had a chance to watch the emperor at close range and, to the great joy of the Hussites, organized a revolt of his own: after taking command of Hradany Castle he arrested all Catholic priests who had sought refuge there, drove out the patricians and their families (keeping their possessions), and assured the town councillors that he was on their side, commanding the castle in the name of the Hussites.enk as a politician was good on momentary decisions but rather irresolute in being loyal to himself. Perhaps he was horrified by news from the provinces, where his new radical allies had attacked royal castles, killing and burning, or perhaps his feudal mind was disturbed by the newfangled demands made by the lower gentry, burghers, artisans, and peasants. In any case, three weeks after he had declared himself against the emperor, he abruptly reversed himself and tried to negotiate a private deal with Sigismund.enk suggested that he and his family be granted the privilege of communion “in both kinds” for life, and handed over the castle to two royalist nobles closer to Sigismund, who was to arrive soon.The Prague crowds were enraged by
en
k’s betrayal and on May 8 immediately tried to storm Hrad
any Castle, but they succeeded only in breaking through one of the outer gates. They were ineffectively organized, and while
en
k made his exit out one of the back doors (not the first or last resident of Hrad
any to do so), the royalist regulars repulsed the Hussites, who suffered heavy losses and withdrew to Strahov, burning the ancient monastery there and destroying its ancient art treasures. For strategic reasons, the Hussites decided to move all the inhabitants of the Minor Town elsewhere and, after the people had left, carrying with them their few belongings (the Catholics going to the castle, the Hussites to the
Old and New Towns), set fire to the church of St. Mary Under the Chain (of the Knights of St. John), to the chapel, still standing, in the archbishop’s devastated palace, to the parish church of St. Nicholas, and to those Minor Town dwellings that were still intact; it was a vigorous application of scorched-earth policy. The mood of Prague was somber and adamant, and as the crusaders drew closer under the command of Sigismund, many Bohemian nobles and knights, committed more deeply to legitimacy than to the Hussite cause, formally renounced their allegiance to the defenders of Prague. These last appealed for military help to all Hussite towns and, in the south, to the well-organized army of Tábor. Allies from Hradec Králové, the so-called Horebites (because they gathered on a hill which, quoting the Bible, they called Horeb), were already in Prague, and the Táborites—men, women, and children on horses and on their wagons—reached the city by May 20, again enthusiastically welcomed by the clergy and the crowds; the Táborite women were lodged at St. Ambrose, now a regular guest barracks for visiting groups from the provinces, and the men in tents on a large island in the river near the Po
Gate. Other armed Hussite groups from Žatec, Louny, and Slané followed. There was some irritation when these rough country allies, disgusted by Prague elegance, accosted some of the townspeople, pulling their mustaches, cutting off the virgins’ braids, tearing apart the ladies’ elaborate veils. Their commanders told them to relent, and fifteen hundred Táborite women began to dig yet a new defense ditch against the Vyšehrad, stretching from the river up to the Church of St. Catherine. They started, it seems, with the church itself, taking apart its roof first and then working their way down.
enk’s betrayal and on May 8 immediately tried to storm Hradany Castle, but they succeeded only in breaking through one of the outer gates. They were ineffectively organized, and whileenk made his exit out one of the back doors (not the first or last resident of Hradany to do so), the royalist regulars repulsed the Hussites, who suffered heavy losses and withdrew to Strahov, burning the ancient monastery there and destroying its ancient art treasures. For strategic reasons, the Hussites decided to move all the inhabitants of the Minor Town elsewhere and, after the people had left, carrying with them their few belongings (the Catholics going to the castle, the Hussites to theOld and New Towns), set fire to the church of St. Mary Under the Chain (of the Knights of St. John), to the chapel, still standing, in the archbishop’s devastated palace, to the parish church of St. Nicholas, and to those Minor Town dwellings that were still intact; it was a vigorous application of scorched-earth policy. The mood of Prague was somber and adamant, and as the crusaders drew closer under the command of Sigismund, many Bohemian nobles and knights, committed more deeply to legitimacy than to the Hussite cause, formally renounced their allegiance to the defenders of Prague. These last appealed for military help to all Hussite towns and, in the south, to the well-organized army of Tábor. Allies from Hradec Králové, the so-called Horebites (because they gathered on a hill which, quoting the Bible, they called Horeb), were already in Prague, and the Táborites—men, women, and children on horses and on their wagons—reached the city by May 20, again enthusiastically welcomed by the clergy and the crowds; the Táborite women were lodged at St. Ambrose, now a regular guest barracks for visiting groups from the provinces, and the men in tents on a large island in the river near the Po
Gate. Other armed Hussite groups from Žatec, Louny, and Slané followed. There was some irritation when these rough country allies, disgusted by Prague elegance, accosted some of the townspeople, pulling their mustaches, cutting off the virgins’ braids, tearing apart the ladies’ elaborate veils. Their commanders told them to relent, and fifteen hundred Táborite women began to dig yet a new defense ditch against the Vyšehrad, stretching from the river up to the Church of St. Catherine. They started, it seems, with the church itself, taking apart its roof first and then working their way down.Other books
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