Thursday, July 5, 2012

Thank Jan Hus for the long weekend to kickstart the summer




Jan Hus monument in Old Town Square


Ever wonder what this monument, situated in the center of Old Town Square, signifies?  
It depicts the persecution of Czech nationalists and their reemergence 200 years later.


Today marks the 597th anniversary of the death of Jan Hus, a 15th century priest, reformer, and religious thinker who was burned at the stake by civil authorities as a heretic.  July 6th is a National holiday in the Czech Republic, with religious services held throughout the country commemorating Jan Hus's legacy.  Hus was a key predecessor to the Protestant movement of the 16th century, and his teachings had a strong influence on the states of Europe, most immediately in the approval for the existence reforming Bohemian religious domination, and, more than a century later, on Martin Luther himself.

Jan Hus