Hus House - Jan Hus Museum in Constance

On July 6, 1415, Johannes Hus, or Jan Hus, was burned at the stake in Constance. According to myth, he sang three more songs until the flames were already hitting his face due to the wind until he only prayed with his lips moving, till he burned entirely. His ashes were later thrown into Lake Constance. But what led to Jan Hus’ arrest in Constance and why did he have to die? In order to provide answers, there is the Hus House in the old town of Konstanz, located in Hussenstrasse. It is in a similar place (* it is not quite as 100% certain that you will not know after these many hundreds of years) as the house at that time, which he lived in during his visit to the Constance Council in November 1414. Jan Hus was a Czech scholar and reformer. Because of the criticism of the church relations at that time, Johannes Hus had to defend his teaching before the Constance Council. However, after being detained in a cold cellar for months, he was sentenced to death at the stake as a heretic (you might be interested in: What is a heretic).

The Hus House in Constance has been the centre of veneration for the Czech scholar and reformer Johannes Hus for over 200 years.

Jan Hus in Konstanz

The Hus Museum, or Hus Haus, in Konstanz, tells the life of Jan Hus in an exhibition with a lot of text but also many pictures and interactive stations. All descriptions are available in three languages, German, English and Czech. From his birth, presumably around 1370 in Husinec u Netolic, Czech Republic, on his student years and also about his trip from the Czech Republic to Lake Constance, to Konstanz. The trip lasted for days, on average with only around 25 km/day. The museum, housed in a half-timbered house at the Schnetztor gate in Constance, offers the informative permanent exhibition “Johannes Hus – Courage to Think, Courage to Believe, Courage to Die” on the first floor, and a special exhibition on the ground floor. Until March 31, 2020, you can find out a lot about “Wenceslaus IV. – The King with a bad reputation” in a dedicated special exhibition.

Entry to the HUS HAUS museum is free of charge, but you can make a donation at the entrance.

Address Hus Haus Museum: Hussenstraße 64, 78462 Konstanz, Germany
Opening times: April 1 – September 30: Tuesday – Sunday: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.
October 1 – March 31: Tuesday – Sunday: 11 a.m. – 4 p.m .: 00:00
closed on Mondays
further information can be found online on the city’s website: https://www.konstanz.de/hus-haus (german only)