Bloody Heart of Europe

How to make a history podcast

We’re taking a planned break before diving into our episodes about Jan Žižka. So in the meantime, we wanted to introduce ourselves, share how we came up with the idea for this podcast, walk you through our process, and just have a casual chat about everything in between.

4.5 || Windows, Warlords, and the Road to Hussite Wars

In this bonus episode, we dive into the roots and symbolism of defenestration, take a closer look at Čeněk of Wartenberg, and explore the growing unrest after Jan Hus's death. In the full version on Patreon, we discuss the protest letter, urban vs. rural beliefs, communion under both kinds, Jacob of Mies, and the final acts of the Council of Constance.

4. || The Defenestration of Prague – the Weird Mass Murder via Windows || Episode 4

When you kill a man in order to destroy his ideas, you may find yourself achieving the exact opposite. Jan Hus may have burned at the stake in Constance, but his followers weren't about to give up. On the contrary – the great revolution was drawing ever closer. In this episode, we follow the chaotic developments in the Kingdom of Bohemia in the wake of Hus’ death. Great warlords and noblemen pick their sides, King Sigismund plans his next bloody move, his brother Wenceslaus grows weaker by the day. And unnoticed by all the highborn politicians, a grassroots movement of the poor and the disenfranchised is preparing to strike… We’re going to learn the meaning of the word “defenestration”. We’re going to witness several gruesome murders. And the war we’ve all been expecting? Well, it’s knocking on the door. For better understanding of this episode, we highly recommend listening to Episodes 1, 2 and 3 where we talk not only about the person of Master Jan Hus, but also about many of the principal players on the political stage in Bohemia.

3.5 || Jan Hus - Every Regime’s Favorite Rebel

In this bonus episode, we dive deeper into the story of Jan Hus and his lasting legacy. We explore how this so-called heretic became a symbol of resistance and why his ideas continued to echo long after his death. We also look at how his execution helped ignite the Hussite Wars, one of the most radical and complex conflicts of 15th-century Bohemia.

3. || Jan Hus - What Made His Words So Dangerous?

Before Martin Luther, before the Reformation, there was Jan Hus—a Czech priest whose words would echo far beyond the pulpit of Bethlehem Chapel.In this episode, we follow Hus’s path from a young theology student to a charismatic preacher, deeply influenced by the writings of John Wycliffe and the growing unrest within the medieval Church. As Hus gained popularity, he also gained powerful enemies - church leaders, nobles, and even those close to King Wenceslaus, whose stance on reform was more than complicated.Forced to leave Prague, Hus believed he could defend his ideas at the Council of Constance. Instead, he faced betrayal, trial, and death.But his execution didn’t end the story - it lit the fire.The road to the Hussite Wars and the passion of Jan Žižka begins here.For better understanding of this episode, we highly recommend listening to Episodes 1 and 2, where we introduce the political and personal context of Kings Wenceslaus and Sigismund.Some of their seemingly irrational decisions will make much more sense.