Jan Hus

Jan Hus (or John Huss) (1372-1415) was a preacher, Reformer, and philosopher in Prague who picked up on the ideas of John Wyclif (or Wycliffe) (1330-1384) and spread them in central Europe. Born in southern Bohemia, Hus harshly criticized immorality in the clergy and preached a doctrine concerning the Eucharist that was considered to be heretical. He was excommunicated in 1411. A Council of Constance was convened under an "antipope" (not the official pope), and this Council tried Hus in 1414 and burned him at the stake, making him a martyr. His followers, known as Hussites, fought battles against the Holy Roman Empire.

"As the official executioner was about to light the pyre at the feet of the reformer, he said, "Now we will cook the goose." (Huss in Bohemian means goose.) "Yes", replied Huss, "but there will come an eagle in a hundred years that you will not reach."^[1] Martin Luther, who was inspired by Huss, nailed his 95 Theses to the door of his church just over one hundred years later.