History nerd looks out a window in Prague

The Thirty Years War and the window that started it all

Before Prague became a capital of bachelor parties and misbehaving backpackers, it was the capital of Bohemia. And no, not the broke, artsy fartsy hippy bohemians, but the Czech sort of Bohemians.

The Bohemians built pretty buildings, of one which is the royal palace. In this royal palace is a window, made popular by the Defenestration of Prague. The only thing that tells you this is a little plaque by the window.

My sister, who was also on the trip, thought it was cool but pointed out I was nerding out a bit too much when I saw it.

It might sound like a tawdry dance move performed in a Czech gentlemen’s club, but the Defenestration of Prague was a big deal in 1618.

A few Protestants – enraged over limitations of their religious rights – came into the palace and threw a few Catholic regents out of a fairly high window. This allowed Catholic hardliners to gather armies to retake Protestant lands in Bohemia, which whipped up the rest of the Protestants to rise against their Catholic rulers, which led to the Thirty Years War.

The regents thrown out the window survived the fall. The ever opportunistic Catholic Church declared their survival a miracle; proof that God is on their side in the war. The Protestants, with no miracle to claim for their cause, retorted that they survived the fall by landing onto a pile of manure.

This is not a pilgrimage destination, no one journeys to Prague to look at this window thoughtfully and reflect on Johnny Calvin or Marty Luther – or maybe they do, there's a lot people nerdier than out there. Right?

And yes, it’s just a freakin’window, but it played a role in a historical event.

Traveling through Europe, you get used to seeing pretty churches and castles and what not, but it’s nice to see a little bits of tangible history along the way. Even if it is just a window with a plaque beside it.