The First Defenestration of Prague

On Friday July 31, 2009 starting at 5 p.m. the municipal district Prague 2 is organizing a unique event, which for the first time in history reminds of the real events of the year 1419 – the First Defenestration of Prague. Exactly 590 years after the passionate crowd led by Mr. Jan Želivský threw the aldermen out of the windows of the New Town Hall we can go back in time straight into the Middle Ages. The visitors can expect an exciting historical show including a reconstruction of the moments that started the Hussite wars.

At the former Horse market, today´s Charles square in front of the New Town Hall there will be a historical market with a stylish refreshment providing a chance to taste a fresh bread from the mobile own, a replica based on a description in the Richental chronicle from the 15th century. There will be even a medieval pub offering beer, mead, ginger bread and other goods enjoyed by our ancestors as well as contemporaries. To create an authentic atmosphere of a real market a music band will perform traditional music. Wandering jugglers will put up a marionette show for little kids describing the historical events in a playful and jolly form.

At 7 p.m. the visitors will have a chance to experience a breathtaking show that will be the climax of the whole festivities, an entertaining show displaying the historical events. Identically to the year 1419 a crowd led by Jan Želivský will march to the New Town Hall and will demand a release of the prisoners, the followers of the Hussite church. Even this time there will be a battle between the supporters of Želivský and the aldermen reconstructing the events when they threw objects from the windows and by doing so will eventually provoked the crowd so that it made its way up to the town hall and throws them out of the windows. The defenestration in 1419 was a bloody event. On July 31, 2009 the visitors can expect mainly a good entertainment and a bit of a thrill watching acrobatic jumps out of the town hall windows.

Program

5:00 p.m.
Welcome speech for the Prague folks presented by Jan Želivský
Traditional music and performance of a group Heurema
Original broadside ballad with Studio dell‘arte marionettes

6:00 p.m.
Exciting fencing duel show of the group Adorea
Traditional music and performance of a group Heurema

7:00 p.m.
Original broadside ballad with studio dell‘arte marionettes
Traditional music and performance of a group Heurema
March of the Hussites led by Jan Želivský
Reconstruction of the First defenestration of Prague performed by film stuntmen

Accompanying program

10:00 a.m.
Opening of the New Town Hall with a discount for all visitors

3:00 p.m.
Opening of a pub and refreshments serving traditional food of Hussites

5:00 p.m.
Fine art workshop and games not just for kids
Traditional crafts of Beroun citizen
Baker with a mobile oven
possibility of tasting freshly made bread on spot in 15th century oven

Penman
historical calligraphy written by a flag-feather on a handmade paper

Executioner
display of torturous tools with an entertaining commentary of a real executioner

Ceramist
modeling from clay on a pallet

Refreshment
Cabbage pancakes (zelník), potato pancakes (bramborák), garlic frisbees (langoš), sausages, sweet pastry (trdlo), pickle, mead, wine, beer, non-alcoholic beverages…