Bethlehem Chapel
The Bethlehem Chapel, Betlémská kaple, is a medieval landmark in Prague famous for igniting the Czech Reformation through vernacular preaching. Founded in 1391 by Wenceslas Kříž (the Merchant) and John of Milheim, it taught in Czech rather than German, a pivotal shift in Bohemian religious life. Jan Hus became its rector and preacher in March 1402, anchoring the chapel’s reputation in Husian reformist ideas that challenged Roman Catholic authority. The chapel’s prominence grew despite tension with papal authority; Hus’s excommunication in 1412 led to a contested order to pull the building down, a move the Old Town council resisted. After Hus’s death, Jacob of Mies succeeded him, and in the 17th century the Jesuits acquired the property. By 1786 the structure was partly demolished, and in 1836–1837 the surviving masonry was incorporated into a new apartment building. …
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