The Defenestration of Prague: When Throwing People Out Windows Became Political Tradition

In Prague, there's a bizarre political tradition: throw your enemies out a window. This happened three times, and each time sparked massive consequences. The word "defenestration" (meaning "throwing someone out a window") exists primarily because of Prague's obsession with this assassination method.

The First Defenestration (1419) occurred during the Hussite Wars when Catholic nobles threw reformist leaders out a town hall window. They survived, but the act sparked the Hussite Wars - religious conflict lasting decades and killing thousands.

The Second Defenestration (1618) is the most consequential. Angry Protestant nobles threw three Catholic Habsburg officials out of Prague Castle - a 70-foot drop. Miraculously, th ...