Jan Mydlář (1572–1664) was a 17th-century executioner from

Bohemia Bohemia ( ; cs, Čechy ; ; hsb, Čěska; szl, Czechy) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. Bohemia can also refer to a wider area consisting of the historical Lands of the Bohemian Crown ruled by the Bohem ...

. He is most known for the red hood-like mask he donned when performing his executions.

Old Town Square execution

Mydlář carried out the killings in the Old Town Square execution of 27 Bohemian Revolt leaders. These leaders were men of high importance, representing various ranks in Czech society and professions. They had organized an uprising against the

Habsburg The House of Habsburg (), alternatively spelled Hapsburg in Englishgerman: Haus Habsburg, ; es, Casa de Habsburgo; hu, Habsburg család, it, Casa di Asburgo, nl, Huis van Habsburg, pl, dom Habsburgów, pt, Casa de Habsburgo, la, Domus Hab ...

Emperor Matthias and later Ferdinand II. On 21 June 1621, Mydlář executed the 27 revolters on behalf of the Austrian

House of Habsburg The House of Habsburg (), alternatively spelled Hapsburg in Englishgerman: Haus Habsburg, ; es, Casa de Habsburgo; hu, Habsburg család, it, Casa di Asburgo, nl, Huis van Habsburg, pl, dom Habsburgów, pt, Casa de Habsburgo, la, Domus Hab ...

. He beheaded twelve of the men and hanged the other fifteen. The Habsburgs displayed the cut-off heads of the beheaded men on the Prague

Old Town In a city or town, the old town is its historic or original core. Although the city is usually larger in its present form, many cities have redesignated this part of the city to commemorate its origins after thorough renovations. There are ma ...

Bridge Tower.

Legacy

Mydlář is the central character of a 19th-century

novel A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itsel ...

by Josef Svátek based on his life, The Memoirs of a Prague Executioner. According to the novel, young Mydlář became an executioner because of a disappointment in love, just before graduating from medical school.

References

External links

''The Memoirs of a Prague Executioner''
1572 births 1664 deaths 17th-century Bohemian people Czech executioners People from Prague {{CzechRepublic-bio-stub