William Slavata

governor of Bohemia

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

July 13, 2026

Quick Summary

William Slavata was a Bohemian nobleman and governor who played a significant role in the events leading up to the Thirty Years' War. In 1618, along with Jaroslav Martinic, he was tried and found guilty of violating the Letter of Majesty, which guaranteed religious liberties. Slavata and Martinic were subsequently thrown from a window of Prague Castle, an event known as the Defenestration of Prague. This act of defiance against Habsburg authority marked the beginning of a Bohemian revolt and is considered one of the opening phases of the Thirty Years' War.1

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

2 Britannica Sources

Defenestration of Prague
Czechoslovak history - The Counter-Reformation and Protestant rebellion

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

Defenestration of Prague
…Prague, where the imperial regents, William Slavata and Jaroslav Martinic, were tried and found guilty of violating the Letter of Majesty and, with their secretary, Fabricius, were thrown from the windows of the council room of Hradčany (Prague Castle) on May 23, 1618. Although inflicting no serious injury on the…
Read More
…Prague, where the imperial regents, William Slavata and Jaroslav Martinic, were tried and found guilty of violating the Letter of Majesty and, with their secretary, Fabricius, were thrown from the windows of the council room of Hradčany (Prague Castle) on May 23, 1618. Although inflicting no serious injury on the…
Read More
Czechoslovak history
The Counter-Reformation and Protestant rebellion
Two governors of Bohemia, William Slavata and Jaroslav Martinic, were accused of violating the charter. After an improvised trial, they were thrown from the windows of the Royal Chancellery at the Prague Castle (May 23, 1618) but escaped unharmed. This act of violence, usually referred to as the Defenestration…
Read More
Two governors of Bohemia, William Slavata and Jaroslav Martinic, were accused of violating the charter. After an improvised trial, they were thrown from the windows of the Royal Chancellery at the Prague Castle (May 23, 1618) but escaped unharmed. This act of violence, usually referred to as the Defenestration…
Read More