Bílá Hora: History in the remaking

They don't make wars like they used to.

Drone attacks and smart bombs are certainly some of the most devastating and advanced developments in the history of battle technology, but according to battle recreator and amateur fencer Martin Cholínský, the Thirty Years' War, which lasted from 1618 to 1648, was just more manly.

"A duel of man against man, with a certain amount of self-control and discipline, is only for those with strong nerves," he says.

Cholínský will be one of 650 participants re-enacting the historic battle of Bílá Hora Sept. 17-18. The battle originally took place in the northern section of Prague Nov. 8, 1620, between the Catholic Habsburg Monarchy and the Protestant Estates, which lost the battle within an hour, with 5,000 casualties for the Estates Monarchy and 2,000 casualties for the Habsburgs. Cholínský will fight for the Emperor's Army as a commanding officer of the cavalry, in support of the infantry's attacks.

"I command from the saddle, and I control how the battle goes from the emperor's point of view," he says.

The event is sponsored by a historical fencing group, the Knights of the Czech Crown, which is part of the civic association Bílá Hora 1620. The association, with cooperation from Prague 6, has been recreating the battle since 2005, when they decided to bring their work closer to home after years of staging battles throughout Europe, according to association Chairman Martin Sýkora. The point of the event is not just to produce a history lesson, but to highlight the Czech nation's "tenacity," which has been demonstrated by the Czechs' willingness to "pass through historic difficulties and obstacles and walk on," he says.

Participants in the re-enactment come from historic groups from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Germany, Poland, England, Romania and Russia. Each of the participants wears a historically accurate costume and carries authentic weapons and equipment like muskets, cannons and powder satchels. The re-enactment will be accompanied by stands where craftsmen and metal workers will showcase their wares. The popularity of the event has grown steadily, from 4,000 visitors in 2005 to 7,500 last year, according to Sýkora, who adds that the realistic nature of the re-enactment has moved some viewers to tears.

"When one is in the middle of the battlefield and shots from muskets and cannons are ringing out, and the cannon shots are bursting all around, it is true adrenalin," he says. "Another strong experience is the night after the battle, when you walk over the battlefield through historical military camps. We are located in fact where the true battle took place, and one can feel this shiver of previous times. I felt this many times. It is really an unusual feeling."

The roots of the Battle of Bílá Hora stretch back to 1618, when the Protestant Estates stormed Prague Castle and defenestrated two of the highest imperial officials, Vilém Slavata and Jaroslav Bořita, along with a clerk, Filip Fabricius. The Estates had decided to be independent of Habsburg rule and elected a new king, Frederick I, who is also known as "the Winter King" because of his short rule. The Hapsburg Emperor Ferdinand II proceeded to Prague with his army and the army of the Catholic League. Although the army of the Estates was outnumbered by opposing armies - 21,000 against nearly 30,000 soldiers - they held a better strategic position.

After a slow start, the battle burst out around noon, and demoralized mercenaries of the Estates, who had not been paid for some time, lost the battle within an hour. It was the end of the Czech rebellion and one of the earliest, if not the first, battle of the Thirty Years' War. The final act took place on Old Town Square June 21, 1621, when 27 rebellion leaders lost their heads.

The Battle of Bílá Hora was a pivotal moment for the Czech nation, laying the groundwork for its history for the next 300 years. Cholínský says it is important to keep the memory of the battle alive and to portray it not as a defeat only, but as a moment when Czechs and Moravians united against the emperor.

"Very likely if the defeat hadn't happened in 1620 on Bílá Hora, another decisive battle would have taken place one or two years later," he says.

As we all know, that second decisive battle did not take place. But thanks to the Bílá Hora association, interested visitors can see that historic day recreated annually.

- Filip Šenk contributed to this report.

Stephan Delbos can be reached at
sdelbos@praguepost.com