Bethlehem Chapel Prague: Where Jan Hus Preached and Why the Communists Rebuilt It
Bethlehem Chapel Prague is one of the most important historical sites in the Czech capital. Best known as the place where Jan Hus preached his revolutionary sermons, it played a crucial role in the development of the Hussite movement and Czech national identity. Today, visitors can explore this reconstructed medieval landmark just a few minutes from Old Town Square. If you would like to discover the story of Jan Hus and the Hussite Revolution in greater depth, join our Old Town & Jewish Quarter Free Tour Prague.
Join our Old Town & Jewish Quarter Free Tour and you will (of course) learn about Jan Hus: the Czech capital’s most influential religious figure, a radical preacher condemned as a heretic by the Papal Inquisition and burned at the stake in Constance in 1415.
But where did Jan Hus preach? And why on earth did the Communists have this building reconstructed in the 1950s?
Bethlehem Chapel (found on Bethlehem Square in the Old Town) is a more humble structure than one of the many grand, extravagant Gothic and Baroque churches that can be found around every corner in the historic centre of Prague.
The original structure was founded in 1391, a decade or so before Jan Hus finished his training as a priest. The very word chapel describes a simple space, distinct from a church in its scale and ambition.
Many of the early reform figures preached there, but it was not originally intended as a place for either holding a full service or administering communion.
From the beginning though, the chapel broke with tradition, being specifically intended for Czech-language preaching rather than the usual Latin sermons, while placing an emphasis on the teachings of Jesus above all else.
The exact design of the medieval building is not known, but it was a large space, capable of holding 3,000 people. Funding came from the nobleman and courtier, Hanuš of Mühlheim and a wealthy local burgher, Jan Kříž.
Jan Hus began preaching in 1402 and quickly became a popular and controversial figure; in person rather quiet, but resolute in his desire to reform the medieval Roman Catholic Church from within.
Notable attendees are believed to have included Sofie, the young wife of King Wenceslas IV, who was known to sympathise with Hus. According to local legend, the Queen would don a disguise and attend his sermons secretly, against her husband’s wishes.
After Hus was imprisoned in Constance in 1414, it is believed that full services began to be held in the chapel as a form of defiant protest, with communion administered ‘in both kinds’, allowing everyone to drink from the chalice as well as receive the wafer, or body of Christ.
Through the late Middle Ages and into the Renaissance period, the chapel functioned as a parish church, with particular emphasis placed on the legacy of Jan Hus, whose cruel death had only served to inspire the fervour of his adherents in Prague.
In 1548 it received an expensive renovation, but the Thirty Years’ War of the 17th century, and the resulting Counter-Reformation, led to a crackdown on the Protestant Church in Bohemia.
The chapel ultimately came into the possession of the Jesuits, once all-powerful in Prague, before the suppression of the Jesuit Order in 1773 led to the transfer of its institutions and properties.
The building then entered a period of severe decline, being almost completely demolished and the space inside the remaining walls used as a timber storage yard. In 1836–37 an apartment building was constructed on the vacant plot and it seemed that the chapel had been lost to posterity.
However, the Czech National Revival movement of the 19th century gradually reignited interest in Jan Hus as well as the unique medieval character of Prague and the Kingdom of Bohemia.
As enthusiasm grew, historians and conservationists began to make tentative plans for the chapel to be brought back to life.
The Communist takeover of 1948 would not seem to bode well for this project, but it is fair to say that the Czechoslovak communists had a flavour of their own and, perhaps rather surprisingly, agreed to fund the reconstruction.
Churchgoing in Communist Czechoslovakia was heavily discouraged and anybody with ambition would try to join the unofficial church of that period, the Communist Party itself. High-profile and other bothersome figures within the Christian churches were persecuted and even executed for their beliefs in the 1950s.
Nevertheless, church services continued throughout communist rule. Priests were trained and entered into an uneasy role, paid a meagre salary by the state and closely monitored to ensure they did not rock the boat.
The story of Bethlehem Chapel and the Hussites appealed to the socialist project in two main ways. Firstly, Jan Hus was a Czech from an ordinary family who spoke truth to power; his story worked well on a national level. Secondly, and perhaps more importantly, he was not a representative of the Roman Catholic Church, an organisation whose power and influence the Communists feared greatly.
Although primarily rooted in Bohemia, the Hussite movement was far easier for the Communist regime to appropriate than the global Roman Catholic Church. Promoting Jan Hus as a Czech reformer posed far fewer political difficulties than dealing with an international institution whose influence extended far beyond the country's borders.
It would have seemed safe to promote the qualities of Jan Hus as an egalitarian and Czech original. Communist propaganda often portrayed him as a proto-revolutionary figure, drawing parallels that modern historians would generally regard as more ideological than historical. As politicians then, as now, rarely miss an opportunity to reshape the past to fit the present.
The new chapel, completed in 1952, is largely successful in creating a serene, austere and expansive interior, with simple Gothic windows and a fairly low, undecorated wooden ceiling. Some elements of the original structure had survived against all odds, and these can be found embedded in the new walls, alongside murals from the 20th century.
The building functions largely as a National Monument, open to the public for a modest fee, as well as a space for ceremonies and organ concerts. Once a year on Jan Hus Day (6 July) a special church service is held in his memory.
From the outside, an elegant white façade faces onto Bethlehem Square, onto which a finishing touch was added in 2015, 600 years after Jan Hus was burned at the stake. Arrive at the right time on a sunny day and the words za pravdu are projected through bespoke metal plates. Translated from Czech, this references Jan Hus’s famous commitment to truth and echoes the motto most closely associated with his legacy: “Truth Prevails”.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who founded Bethlehem Chapel?
Bethlehem Chapel was founded in 1391 by Hanuš of Mühlheim and Jan Kříž with the aim of providing Czech-language preaching in Prague.
Why is Bethlehem Chapel famous?
The chapel is best known as the place where Jan Hus preached his reformist sermons before being condemned for heresy and executed in 1415.
Is Bethlehem Chapel original?
No. Most of the medieval structure was demolished during the 18th and 19th centuries. The building visitors see today is a carefully researched reconstruction completed in 1952.
Can you visit Bethlehem Chapel?
Yes. Bethlehem Chapel is open to visitors as a museum and cultural venue and regularly hosts exhibitions, concerts and special events.
Visiting Bethlehem Chapel
How to find it: The chapel is located a short walk from Old Town Square in a beautiful and slightly less visited part of Prague's historic centre.
Opening hours: Open daily as a museum from 9:00–17:30, but be mindful of occasional closures on public holidays and when the building is being used for ceremonies or other events.
Bethlehem Chapel is just one of dozens of fascinating sites connected to Prague's medieval history, religious conflicts and royal past. If you are visiting the city for the first time, our Free Walking Tour Prague introduction tour is the perfect way to discover the stories behind Prague's most famous landmarks, including Old Town Square, the Astronomical Clock, the Jewish Quarter and the legacy of Jan Hus himself.