Why did Czech literature survive mainly among political exiles during Habsburg rule?

Following the defeat of the Bohemian Protestants by the Austrian Habsburgs in 1620, the region was brought under direct Habsburg rule. This period saw the systematic eradication of Protestantism and the displacement of the Bohemian nobility by newcomers who had little knowledge of the Czech language.1

Under these conditions, existing literary traditions were proscribed, and the social and administrative use of the Czech language declined significantly. Consequently, Czech literature was largely suppressed within the country for two centuries, surviving primarily among political exiles who continued to write and preserve the language abroad. A notable figure among these exiles was John Amos Comenius, whose works in both Latin and Czech remain significant achievements of the era. During this time of suppression, the Kralice Bible, published by the Unitas Fratrum, served as the primary repository of the language, helping to preserve it until the national revival in the 19th century.12