Betlémské Kapel

The interior of the chapel

Bethlehem Chapel (Prague) was founded in 1391 and is an important building in both Czech and Protestant history. The charter of the chapel stipulated that sermons were to be delivered in Czech, rather than Latin, a major departure from church practices of the day. The building was also important because it could contain the largest meeting space of anywhere in the city, up to 3000 people. Despite the size, the building was never considered a church.

Perhaps, however, the more historically important aspect of the chapel was the appointment of Jan Hus as preacher in 1402. Largely unknown outside of Bohemia, his sermons and writings were of great renown, even drawing Queen Sophia, the wife of King Wenceslas IV, to hear him. He preached on the evils of too much money, citing the tenth chapter of Matthew, Hus worried that the church would be captured by earthly riches and would refrain from preaching the Word of God. As such, Hus was also a critic of the practice of selling indulgences, which drew the ire of the king and Church. In 1412 he was forced to flee Prague. He was arrested and burned at the stake on 6 July 1415, the anniversary of which is now the Czech national day. Hus is seen as the precursor to the Protestant Reformation that would occur a century later and Martin Luther cited him as his predecessor.

The illustration of Jan Hus in flames

The interior of the chapel, austere and sparse like many early Protestant churches, evokes a serenity not found on the busy streets of Prague. Reproductions of medieval paintings on the walls tell the story of Hus and his followers. Today the chapel is a part of, and maintained by, the Czech Technical University in Prague. It hosts formal graduations of students and each 6 July an ecumenical meeting on the anniversary of Hus’s execution. Stepping into the chapel is almost stepping back in time. There are very few distractions and almost no tourists; only fellow travelers.