Bethleham chapel (Betlémská kaple) was founded in 1391 as part of the move to reform the Church in Bohemia. The reformers wished to see the Mass and other services held in the Czech language instead of Latin.
The building is an important part of Czech history as the reformer Jan Hus preached here between 1402 - 1412, and as a result the chapel became the birth place of the Hussite movement and a rallying point in the bitter struggles for religious supremecy.
After the defeat of the Hussites in 1620, the Catholic Church closed Bethleham Chapel, and it was only re-opened when the Jesuits purchased the building in 1661 and turned it into a Catholic Church. With the supressing of the Jesuit order in the 18th century, Emperor Joseph II ordered the church to be first desecrated and then destroyed. An apartment block was eventually built on the site.
Between 1948 to 1954 the communists had the chapel reconstruced according to the original design as preserved in illustrations and built on what remained of the original chapel.
The catholic reformer Jan Hus has strongly influenced many different groups in Czech history and his life has shaped the Czech nation in many different ways. Religious refomers looked to him as the father of the Protestant Reformation in their country. Nationalists saw him as a nationalist hero who promoted the Czech language and strove for less foreign influence. Liberals looked to him as someone who upheld the right to individual conscience and personal freedom. Finally in the 20th century the communists saw in his sermons against worldly wealth and personal power a harbinger of communism.
Jan Hus was burnt at the stake on 6 Jul 1415, and the Czech's commemerate this event with a National Holiday. An annual memorial is held at Bethleham Chapel to mark the occasion.
As well as being a national cultural monument, Bethleham Chapel is still used for religious services and classical concerts.
Address:
Betlémské námestí 4
Old Town, Prague 1
Opening Times
Tues - Sun
Closed Mondays
Apr - Oct: 10am - 6.30pm
Nov - Mar: 10am - 5.30pm
Entrance Price:
50 Czech Crown
How to Get There:
Metro: A & B - Mustek
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