Vienna (OTS) – May 1618: Religious conflicts simmer throughout the Habsburg Empire. Tensions between Catholics and Protestants erupt at Prague Castle. Bohemian insurgents throw two royal governors and a scribe out of the window of the Habsburg office building: This second Prague defenestration is considered to be the trigger for the Thirty Years’ War – one of the most devastating conflicts in the history of Europe. The uprising of the Bohemian estates against the Catholic rulers spread throughout Europe; the Protestant Union fought for religious freedom and decentralization, the Catholic League fought for the monarchy and the preservation of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation. Originally a religious conflict, the Thirty Years’ War became a Europe-wide conflagration – with millions of deaths and catastrophic economic and social consequences.
The gripping documentary drama “Apocalypse 1618 – The Horrors of the Thirty Years’ War” by Zdenek Jiráský – a co-production of ORF with ARTE and Czech Television – describes the background to the religious conflict on Friday, February 2, 2024 at 10:35 p.m. on ORF 2 , which was supposed to plunge the whole of Europe into catastrophe. In the so-called Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation, the legal principle “Cuius regio, eius religio” (“Wes area, des religion”) applied. Accordingly, the ruler of a country was entitled to dictate the religion of its residents – a principle that was interpreted differently by different sides. Who is the ruler and can decide about religion? The Catholic emperor for the entire empire or each noble in his respective territory?
In 1618, the uprising of the Bohemian estates sparked a movement that swept across Europe. Protestant sovereigns led by several German princes faced Catholic imperial estates led by the Habsburg powers in Austria and Spain. The dispute initially revolved around denominational and later also political differences. While the insurgents fought for a decentralization of power, the Catholic rulers sought an absolute monarchy. The regional conflicts soon developed into a destructive war. In November 1620, the Bohemian estates were defeated by the imperial troops in the Battle of White Mountain. In the years that followed, the war in Europe continued to spread. From Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands, which fought for their independence from Spain, to Sweden and finally France, all the major European powers gradually entered the war. The second Defenestration of Prague on May 23, 1618, in which no one was seriously injured, led to the open outbreak of the Thirty Years’ War, which resulted in a reorganization of Europe and was to have a lasting impact on its history.
Well-known Czech actors such as Karel Dobry and Tereza Hofová take part in this joint project by ORF, ARTE and Česká televize; Toni Slama, Pia Strauss, Florentin Groll, Alexandra Krismer, Aris Sas and Daniela Golpashin speak in the German dubbed version. The extensive filming took place at the original historical locations, including White Mountain, Prague Castle and the Old Town Square.