helfferich ed. thirty years war -- defenestration0001

3
where he had been recruiting, and defeated him at the battle of Stadtlohn on August 6, 1623. The 23rd of May, a Wednesday, the eve of Ascension Day,39 four lord re- gents 40 came from St. Virus Cathedral, where the procession had been per- formed and they had heard the holy Mass, and went to the Bohemian chancellery at 8:30 in the morning. They then quickly and assiduously had all the stools and benches, except for a single chair, carried out of the chan- cellery so that there would be sufficient room for all the arriving Protestant<ll lords. At around nine o'clock, lords from all three Protestant eStates, with a great crowd of their aides and servants, entered the castle of His Imperial Majesty42 at Prague and then the Bohemian chancellery. Unannounced, quite cheekily, and causing a great deal of importunity, they barged even into the council chamber, where there should have been the greatest security and respect. 43 Thus the chancellery was entirely filled with lords and knights alone, while most of the burghers stood outside in front of the door, which therefore had to remain wide open. The four lord regents who were present stood together in a windowed cor- ner near the furnace, where there was more room, expecting that the Protest tants present would now craft a response to the letter from His Imperial Majesty, a copy of which had been communicated to them that Monday. In this letter they had once again been mildly admonished not to conduct an- other meeting until His Imperial Majesty's arrival, or until they received fur- ther decrees. Instead of [writing a response], [the members of the estates] at once had Lord Paul Rziczan read aloud, in a clear voice, a letter with the following ap- proximate content: (Furious over what they saw to be aflagrant disregardfor both their guaran- teed religious rights (for example, the right to build churches and oversee their own internal religious communities) and political rights (for example, the right to hold assemblies and see to some degree of self-rule), Protestant members of the Bohemian estates3 6 gathered in May 1618 in Praguefor an extraordi- nary assembly. Such a meeting had been specificallyforbidden by the emperor, whose regents thus called the leaders of the estates to Hradcany Castle to discuss the matter. Instead, the men stormed the palace and~hrew two of the emperor's regents and their settetary out the window, 4n act that b~came known as the Deftnestration of Prague (from the Latin for "Mila witlticw'j.J7 Luckily, these men, who fell more than fifty feet to the courtyard: below, escaped with their lives, if not their dignity. Protestant writers later argued that the men had survived only by landing on a dung heap. Catholics put forth a slightly differ- ent explanation, which appears at the end of the following description of the incident written (in the third person) by one of the three men deftnestrated, jarOSlaVMartinitz. 38 ) 35. Jaroslav Martinitz, "Beschreibung det BohrnischenRebelliort in anno 1618," Knihovna Narodnlho muzea, Praha, Sign. VI G. 2, ft, in Miroslav Toegel, ed., D()cumenta B()hemica Bellum tricennale illu;trantia; T. 2, Der Beginn des DreissigjiihrigenKrieges:der Kampf um BiJhmen:Quelten zur Geschichteda bOmis- chen Krieges (1618-1621) (Prague: Academia, 1972),42-9. A different version of this event also appears in Henry Frederick &hwartz; The Imperial Privy Council in the Seventeenth Century (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1943), 344-7. 36. Most European states traditionally recognized three major social groupings or estates: the nobility, the clergy, and the burghers (or city-dwellers). In Bohemia, how- ever, the three estates were the nobles, the knights, and tbe burghers. 37. Historians sometimes refer to this acr as rhe Second Defenestration of Prague, since it was done in conscious imitation of a simiW aCtperformed during the 1419 Hussite revolt, whereby seven dty council members were killed. 38. Count Jaroslav Borita (Smeczensky) z Martinic (1582-1649), burgrave of Karl- stein and regent of Bohemia. As Bohemia was under the control of the German- speaking Habsburg monarchy, most of the men mentioned in this document are usually referred to by the Getman, rather than the Czech, versions of their names. lb avoid confusion, I have retained the traditional German versions in the main text, bur have included the Czech names of some of the key ligures in the foomotes. 39. Ascension Day is the Christian holiday celebrating the bodily ascension of Jesus Christ into heaven. 40. The four regents present were Martinirz, president of the chamber Count Vilem Slawata z Chlumu a KoSumberka (1572-1651/2; also known as Wtlhelm Slawata von Chlurn und Kosumberg), Adam II von Sternberg (the supreme burgrave), and Matthew Leopold Popel Lobcowirz (grand prior of the Order of the Knights of St. John in Bohemia). 41. Here the author uses the phrase sub utraque, which means nor only Protestants, but also Utraquists and Brethren (see the section inrroduction, page 1, for more in- formation on this topic). For ease of reading, however, I have here represented this and all subsequenr uses of the phrase as "Protestant." 42. Matthias von Habsburg (1557-1619), Holy Roman Emperor and king of 80- hernia. 43. Tradition dictated that no one enter the castle fully armed.

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Page 1: Helfferich Ed. Thirty Years War -- Defenestration0001

where he had been recruiting, and defeated him at the battle of Stadtlohnon August 6, 1623.

The 23rd of May, a Wednesday, the eve of Ascension Day,39 four lord re-gents40 came from St. Virus Cathedral, where the procession had been per-formed and they had heard the holy Mass, and went to the Bohemianchancellery at 8:30 in the morning. They then quickly and assiduously hadall the stools and benches, except for a single chair, carried out of the chan-cellery so that there would be sufficient room for all the arriving Protestant<lllords. At around nine o'clock, lords from all three Protestant eStates, with agreat crowd of their aides and servants, entered the castle of His ImperialMajesty42 at Prague and then the Bohemian chancellery. Unannounced,quite cheekily, and causing a great deal of importunity, they barged even intothe council chamber, where there should have been the greatest security andrespect.43 Thus the chancellery was entirely filled with lords and knightsalone, while most of the burghers stood outside in front of the door, whichtherefore had to remain wide open.

The four lord regents who were present stood together in a windowed cor-ner near the furnace, where there was more room, expecting that the Protesttants present would now craft a response to the letter from His ImperialMajesty, a copy of which had been communicated to them that Monday. Inthis letter they had once again been mildly admonished not to conduct an-other meeting until His Imperial Majesty's arrival, or until they received fur-ther decrees.

Instead of [writing a response], [the members of the estates] at once hadLord Paul Rziczan read aloud, in a clear voice, a letter with the following ap-proximate content:

(Furious over what they saw to be aflagrant disregardfor both their guaran-teed religious rights (for example, the right to build churches and oversee theirown internal religious communities) and political rights (for example, theright to hold assemblies and see to some degree of self-rule), Protestant membersof the Bohemian estates36gathered in May 1618 in Praguefor an extraordi-nary assembly. Such a meeting had been specifically forbidden by the emperor,whose regents thus called the leaders of the estates to Hradcany Castle to discussthe matter. Instead, the men stormed the palace and~hrew two of the emperor'sregents and their settetary out the window, 4n act that b~came known as theDeftnestration of Prague (from the Latin for "Mila witlticw'j.J7 Luckily, thesemen, who fell more than fifty feet to the courtyard: below, escaped with theirlives, if not their dignity. Protestant writers later argued that the men hadsurvived only by landing on a dung heap. Catholics put forth a slightly differ-ent explanation, which appears at the end of the following description of theincident written (in the third person) by one of the three men deftnestrated,jarOSlaVMartinitz.38)

35. Jaroslav Martinitz, "Beschreibung det BohrnischenRebelliort in anno 1618,"Knihovna Narodnlho muzea, Praha, Sign. VI G. 2, ft, in Miroslav Toegel,ed., D()cumenta B()hemica Bellum tricennale illu;trantia; T. 2, Der Beginn desDreissigjiihrigenKrieges:der Kampf um BiJhmen:Quelten zur Geschichteda bOmis-chenKrieges(1618-1621) (Prague: Academia, 1972),42-9. A different version ofthis event also appears in Henry Frederick &hwartz; The Imperial Privy Councilin the Seventeenth Century (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1943),344-7.36. Most European states traditionally recognized three major social groupings orestates: the nobility, the clergy, and the burghers (or city-dwellers). In Bohemia, how-ever, the three estates were the nobles, the knights, and tbe burghers.37. Historians sometimes refer to this acr as rhe Second Defenestration of Prague,since it was done in conscious imitation of a simiW aCtperformed during the 1419Hussite revolt, whereby seven dty council members were killed.38. Count Jaroslav Borita (Smeczensky) z Martinic (1582-1649), burgrave of Karl-stein and regent of Bohemia. As Bohemia was under the control of the German-speaking Habsburg monarchy, most of the men mentioned in this document areusually referred to by the Getman, rather than the Czech, versions of their names.

lb avoid confusion, I have retained the traditional German versions in the main text,bur have included the Czech names of some of the key ligures in the foomotes.39. Ascension Day is the Christian holiday celebrating the bodily ascension of JesusChrist into heaven.

40. The four regents present were Martinirz, president of the chamber Count VilemSlawata z Chlumu a KoSumberka (1572-1651/2; also known as Wtlhelm Slawatavon Chlurn und Kosumberg), Adam II von Sternberg (the supreme burgrave), andMatthew Leopold Popel Lobcowirz (grand prior of the Order of the Knights of St.John in Bohemia).41. Here the author uses the phrase sub utraque,which means nor only Protestants,but also Utraquists and Brethren (see the section inrroduction, page 1, for more in-formation on this topic). For ease of reading, however, I have here represented thisand all subsequenr uses of the phrase as "Protestant."42. Matthias von Habsburg (1557-1619), Holy Roman Emperor and king of 80-hernia.43. Tradition dictated that no one enter the castle fully armed.

Page 2: Helfferich Ed. Thirty Years War -- Defenestration0001

in the council, nor to reveal what had adviseddone ....

The Protestant lords, however, refused to be satisfiCount von Thurn, who stated: "Yet this is aand especially the lord supreme burgrave anit. Until you do, we will not leavethe Bohto know a eceivea clearuncover pistols, which dhold of and fired in a very threatening manner. Hto Lord Martinitz, defiantly kicked hima brief discussion, the supreme burgravless and have practically fo us, weprotest ttenuously youpressly, all of you lords present asforced to give this answer, and this we can saydid not advise anything that was contr

At which they-especiallyPopel the elder, Bohuslav Berdreas Schlkk,49 Hans Litwin vLord Ulrich Kinsky-discussedcally cried out: "It is clear to us thatter of M !Furthermore," they said,grand p , we know well that both ofsuch a g, nor wish to harm us, but mustastray by Lords Slawata and Marciniu. "51)

After this they d to these two lords,M .u, and sai ou of US

to e us of our Letter ajesry,havesubjects ... and have tried to force them towills or have had chern expelled for this

44. As the supreme burgrave of the castle of Prepresentative of the his absence and thgovernment.45.

Adam von Sternberg was theest member of the Bohemian

47. Matthew\Lobkowitz.48. The!Utter of Majesty was issued byl;.mperor RudBohemia ~f1>m1575 to 1611. It gtanre9,freedomof WBohemian estates to build churches onqown lamI:49. Jachym OndIej hrab~ Slik,(l569-162.1). Schlick."a LatberalJ; ndblernd.W:tsone of the D~fenders.50. Slawata and von Martinitz, along with tile Bohen)ia~chan¢el\qr ZdenekberrPopel von Lobcowitz (who was in Vienna: at this rilrieand SO esCapedtheestration), were the three mosranti-Protestant regents in the Bohemian govetntnentand had openly oppOsed the Letter of Majesty.

Waldsrein. also known as Wallenstein, was tbe brother of Albrecht, who was to be the emperor's supreme general.

%eThurn-Valsassioll (1567-1640). CoUnt yon Thurn, a Calvin-ad so never fully mastered the Czech lan-

of the Bohemianen by the estates to

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[The two regents attempt to defend themselves from these and fUrtheraccusations brought by the Protestants.]

And with this, the aforementioned people grasped onto Lord von Mar-tinitz, who faithfully commended himself to God the Almighty with thesewords: "Jesus, son of God, have mercy on me; mother of God, rememberme," and who wore .only ~ black canvas coat along with rapier and dagger,but ~ot a hat (for thiS, whi~h had a beautiful braid decorated with gold andprecIOUSstones, had been npped from his hand). Then, bare headed, he wasmiserably shoved and thrown head fitst out of the window and into the cas-tle moat, which was perhaps thirty cubits down and rocky. As he, however,strongly and continuously cried out in turn the holy names "Jesus" and"Mary," this terrifYing tOSSand fall not only did not deprive him of life, italso .saw him only ~lightly injured, due to the mysterious grace and com-pasSIonof God, achieved through the intercession of our dear and most dis-tinguished Lady. It was then commonly said and staunchly avowed as certainby many pious, God-fearing people-who claimed to have clearly seen thisfor themselves-that in the air above Lord von Martinirz. who was the firstto fall, appeared the most holy and praiseworthy Virgin Mary, the motherof God, as his sublime parron, and, so to speak, slowed him in his fall withher outstretched coat placed beneath him, such that he might fall to the earthmuch more softly. Thus she mercifully helped to maintain him in life andhealth and keep him from certain death. Although Lord von Martinitz hadnot seen this so clearly, nonetheless it had happened. He could clearly re-member that while he called out both holy names during his fall (becausehe had, without despairing, held out strong hopes of finally and at any mo-ment gaining his long-hoped-for holy martyr's crown), it truly appeared tohim as though the highest heaven opened itself up to him, and that he shouldsoon enter there into eternal glory.

~ext came Lord Slawata, who also devoutly called out to God the Lord,saymg: "God, have mercy on me, a sinner." They first badly smashed the fin-gers of his right hand, with which he had tried to hold on, until they werebloody, and then threw him through the same window, without his hat andin a black velvet coat with his rapier, and he quickly fell to the earth. Herolled eight cubits farther and deeper into the moat than had Lord Martinitzand badly entangled his head in his heavy coat. Finally came the third, LordM. Philipus Fabricius, imperial councilo.r and secretary of the kingdom ofBohemia. [He was chosen] mostly because of the demands of Lord AlbrechtHansen Smirzicky, by whom he had also previously been plagued in his writ-ings in all kinds of ways. He was also brought by them, in his coat and with-out his hat, to this window, where he also assiduously called our toGod-"God have mercy on my soul!"-and was thrown into the moat ....

Then the above-mentioned nine people were thrown into confusion, andalso all others who were present; hut Lord Count von Thurn and Lord Wil-helm Popel, in particular, strongly challenged the two lords Slawata andMartinitz with rhese words: "See, all dear lords, these men are great enemiesof us and of our religion .... Know for certain, all you lords, that so long asthey remain in the country, our Letter of Majesty will never be safe, nor will,indeed, the lives of any of us and of our dear wives and children. And werewe to keep these men alive, then we would lose the Letter of Majesty andour religion, and all of us would then be stripped and deprived of our lives,honor, and property, for there can be no justice to be gained from or bythem ... ."

Then Lord Wilhelm Popel and several others turned to the other two re-gents and said: "Lord supreme burgrave and lord grand prior, please leavenow; nothing bad will happen to the both of you by our hands, but withthese other two we shall have justice ... ." Then several of them dragged thesupreme burgrave and the lord grand prior by their hands out the door ofthe Bohemian chancellery and led them away.

Immediately after this, the lords furiously and violently laid hands on thetwo oft-mentioned regents. I think that Count von Thurn and Joachim An-dreas, Count von Schlick, along with several others, forcefully seized LordSlawata, while Lord Wilhelm Popel, Hans Litwin von Rziczan, Lord UlrichKinsky, Lord Albrecht Smirzicky, and Lord Paulus Kepler seized Lord vanMartinitz. They strongly pulled them here and there through the entire Bo-hemian chancellery, starting from the fireplace and ending at the window onthe opposite side, crying: "Now we will show justice to those who are ene-mies of our religion!" At this, Lord van Martinitz said loudly: "Since thisconcerns the will of God, the Catholic religion, and the will of the emperor,we shall suffer everything gladly and patiently." They both seriously thoughtthat they would he led to the door and then held in arrest for some time, butonce they had passed by the door and had seen the window opened imme-diately before them, they both ceaselessly began to ask for the benefit of aconfessor, to whom they wished to confess at once, and to ask most ferventlyfor the final righteousness of God. At this, however, the Protestant membersof the estates, without considering this ardent request, answered: "Yes,wewill soon usher in the mischievous Jesuits51 as well."

51. Membersof the Societyof Jesus,a religiousorder founded in 1540. The Jesuitswerethe main arm of the papacyin its efforrsto combat thespreadofPcorestantism,and wereactivelyattempting to re-CatholicizeBohemiaat this time.