Jan Hus Memorial

Standing boldly in the center of Old Town Square, the Jan Hus Memorial commemorates one of the most influential figures in Czech history. Erected in 1915 to mark the 500th anniversary of his execution, the statue honors Jan Hus, a philosopher, priest, and early reformer whose teachings challenged the corruption of the medieval Catholic Church and helped lay the groundwork for later Protestant movements. About a century after he died, the doctrine of Hus inspired Martin Luther as he led his followers off into the Lutheran sect of Protestantism.

Hus believed that the Bible should be the ultimate authority—not the Pope, and that church services should be held in the local language, not Latin, so that ordinary people could understand the Word of God. He argued that clergy should live modestly and be held to moral standards, and denounced indulgences—payments for forgiveness—as corrupt and wrong. These views earned him widespread support at home but condemnation abroad. In 1415, after being promised safe conduct to defend his beliefs at the Council of Constance, Hus was betrayed and burned at the stake for heresy.

The memorial portrays hopeful Czech Protestants, Jan Hus as a defiant figure surrounded by Hussite warriors, mourning exiles from the White Mountain era—a pivotal defeat at the start of the Thirty Years’ War, marking the collapse of Czech political autonomy, the rise of Habsburg dominance, and the onset of forced re-Catholicization and Germanization, which led to the suppression of Czech language and culture for centuries. The monument became a powerful symbol of national resilience and cultural identity, especially during periods of foreign rule and oppression.

💡 Top Tip 💡

Did you know that the Church of St. Nicholas on Old Town Square is used by the Czech Hussite Church, a denomination inspired by Jan Hus’s teachings? To complete your Jan Hus experience in Prague, visit the nearby Bethlehem Chapel, where Hus preached his revolutionary sermons and which now serves as a museum dedicated to his life and work.

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🍴Where to eat : 

(Here are some suggestions. All are within 7 min walking from your current location).

 

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-Mannson’s Danish Bakery & Café (Scandinavian Bakery) 4.3 ⭐

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-Kafka Hummus Café (Middle Eastern Café) 4.2 ⭐ 

-Pastacaffé Vězeňská (Italian-style café with homemade pasta & desserts) 4.5 ⭐

-Point Restaurant & Bar (Trendy spot for cocktails and modern cuisine) 4.6 ⭐  

-Mistral Café (Modern Czech & European cuisine with courtyard seating) 4.5 ⭐

 

[$$]

-Finestrina (Italian Bistro & Deli) 4.5 ⭐

-Brasileiro U Radnice (Brazilian churrasco & steaks) 4.7 ⭐

 

[$$]

-Field (Michelin-Starred Nordic-Inspired Dining) 4.6 ⭐ 

-Le Moules (Belgian-Inspired Seafood & Mussels) 4.4 ⭐