John of Nepomuk

Certainly a prominent Czech religion, Christianity has claimed over 10% of the entire population of the Czech Republic. As many of us already know, Catholicism is also known as Roman Catholicism, which is a branch of Christianity that is provided with spiritual guidance by the Pope. A Roman Catholic from the mid-13^th century, St. John of Nepomuk, was a Czechian, and most importantly, a martyr.

Also known as Jan Velflín, John of Nepomuk hailed from the small region of Pomuk. While his birth date is not very clear, it is known that he was born somewhere between 1340 and 1349. From the sounds of it, Velflín was a smart man, attending the University of Prague in that era, and moving on to focus on canon law at the University of Padua. It seems that he was wrongfully killed on the 20^th of March, 1393, on the instructions of the King of Bohemia, King Wenceslaus IV.

Also the King of the Romans, Wenceslaus had an ongoing dispute with John of Jenzenstein. John of Jenzenstein, who was then the archbishop of the city of Prague, was against the plans of Wenceslaus. According to history, the King of Bohemia wished to capture the money stash of the abbey of Kladrub. However, for his evil wishes to succeed, an abbot named Racek needed to die. As John of Jenzenstein had no desire to be a part of this scheme, he commanded John of Nepomuk to look for a new abbot as soon as Racek passed away. Enraged beyond belief, King Wenceslaus ordered his henchmen to capture John of Jenzenstein and four of his companions. While the archbishop of Prague managed to get away and survive, his companions remained behind. To their horror, they were all severely tortured, being forced to change sides. However, John of Neptomuk stayed true to John of Jenzenstein and refused to abandon the archbishop. As a result, the King’s men threw him into the Vltava of Prague.

Many have mourned John of Nepomuk’s demise, describing him to have been a loyal and noble man. His tomb was erected in Prague, a stunning Baroque-style structure. Moreover, there is a pilgrimage church near Bohemia, where thousands of people drop by, both locals and tourists.

Megatour on Google+