Prazsky kat Jan Mydlar

Jan Mydlar patri k nejznamejsim katum stredoveku diky ucasti na nejvetsi hromadne poprave toho veku – poprave 27 ceskych panu, prevazne protestantu, kteri vedli stavovske povstani proti krali Matyasi a nasledne krali Ferdinandovi II.

Podle Svatka pochazel Jan Mydlar z chrudimske mestanske rodiny a byl magistrem lekarstvi prazske university (k uplnemu titulu mu chybely pouze zaverecne zkousky, avsak podle jinych pramenu zkousky udelal, jen neabsolvoval promoce). Misto toho, aby se stal uznavanym lekarem (byl velmi talentovanym studentem), nastoupil u chrudimskeho kata jako jeho pacholek, cimz se prakticky odsoudil na pokraj spolecnosti.
Co jej k tomu vedlo? Nic jineho nez laska. Jan Mydlar byl jiz za studii zamilovany do krasne Dorotky. Byl laskou natolik zaslepen na to, aby si vsimnul, ze Dorotka opetovava lasku temer kazdemu, kdo se ji dvori. Dorotka si posleze vezme za muze stareho mlynare Vanuru, ktereho vsak v zapeti s pomoci korenarek otravi, a tim sprovodi ze sveta. Je za to odsouzena k trestu smrti.
Jan Mydlar, hnan svym srdcem, okamzite zanecha studii a zamiri do rodne Chrudimi Dorotce na pomoc. Do zalare vsak smi vstoupit jen kat a jeho pomocnici. Jan nevaha a stava se holomkem chrudimskeho kata Jiriho, prestoze vi, ze se tak navzdy vyradi s pocestne lidske spolecnosti. Zachranit milovanou Dorotku se mu ale nepodarilo. U katovskeho remesla vsak jiz musel zustat, nebot byl navzdy povazovan za necisteho cloveka.

zde.

Tato historka je vsak naprosto vymyslena Josefem Svatkem v jeho Pametech katovske rodiny Mydlaru. O Janu Mydlarovi se dochovalo jen malo overenych zprav. Historicke prameny dokladaji, ze se Jan Mydlar pravdepodobne skutecne narodil v Chrudimi a nepochazel z katovske rodiny. Slavnym se stal az po poprave 27 ceskych panu 21. cervna 1621, nebot prave na nem bylo vykonani rozsudku. Podobna poprava se nekonala dosud nikde. Jmeno prazskeho kata se rozletlo Evropou. Na trzich se prodavaly "zarucene prave" mece s vyrytymi jmeny popravenych nebo s Mydlarovym monogramem. Jan Mydlar se stal zamoznym muzem. S manzelkou Alzbetou, dcerou slanskeho kata Spetly, si koupil roku 1637 dum na okraji Noveho Mesta, tam, kde se rika Na bojisti - v blizkosti pozdejsi proslule hospody U kalicha. Z jeho synu jsou znami Jan Vaclav a Jiri, kteri otcovo remeslo zdedili.
Nicmene ze zacatku pusobil Mydlar jako pomocnik prazskeho kata Jarose, ktery vsak asi po roce zemrel. Jan podal na Staromestske radnici o misto mistra popravciho vsech tri prazskych mest. Magistratu vyhovoval Mydlar proto, ze byl dostatecne fyzicky vyspely a zrucny. Vyhodu mel i v tom, ze jako studovany medik vedel kam seknout mecem, jak pustit zilou. Je historicky overeno, ze kdyz obhajoval svou zadost o ustanoveni staromestskym katem, nekteri oponenti, vcetne purkmistra Krocina hovorili o tom, ze sice mlady je, avsak upozornovali na jeho zkusenosti. Katovstvi mu bylo prirknuto ve dvaadvaceti ci triadvaceti letech.

Fakta
O dospivani a studentskych letech Jana Mydlare se muzeme jen dohadovat, protoze chybi verohodne udaje. Pres spekulace o datu Mydlarova narozeni je jiste, ze v lete roku 1603 zazil Jan Mydlar uz jako prazsky kat pad Jeronyma Makovskeho z Makove, nejvyssiho osobniho komoriho Rudolfa II. Byl take svedkem vzestupu intrikana Filipa Langa, nastupce Makovskeho, ktery byl 1. cervna 1608 uvrzen do zalare, kde skonal prirozenou smrti pred vynesenim rozsudku v hrdelnim procesu. Jan Mydlar byl ve sve funkci svedkem udalosti provazejicich vydani Majestatu Rudolfa II., 9. cervence 1609. Na prani cisare Rudolfa II. se vypravil za magistrem Kelleym na Krivoklat, aby z neho dostal tajemstvi elixiru mladi a ziskavani zlata umelou cestou.

Staromestska katovna
Kat Mydlar bydlel z pocatku ve staromestske katovne v Praze u Stareho zidovskeho hrbitova, tam kde se dnes styka jeho zed se severni casti budovy Umeleckoprumysloveho muzea. Za popravy a muceni dostaval vysoke odmeny, za ktere si koupil v roce 1634 s manzelkou Alzbetou dum na okraji Noveho Mesta u Svinske brany. Brana stavala v mistech dnesniho namesti I. P. Pavlova. Dum stal tam, kde je dnes ulice Na Bojisti, v blizkosti pozdejsi proslule hospody U kalicha.

Herman Krystof Rusworm
Prvni zminka o poprave kata Mydlare je poprava Hermana Krystofa Rusworma. Byl popraven 29. listopadu 1605 Janem Mydlarem, bez pacholku, ve velke sini na Staromestske radnici. Herman Krystof Rusworm, ktery slavil nejvetsi uspechy za tureckych valek v letech 1593 az 1606, padl do lecky italskych generalu a nechvalne znameho cisarova komoriho Filipa Langa. Pikantni je, ze jen nekolik hodin po provedene poprave dorazil na radnici posel s osobnim prikazem cisare Rudolfa II., v nemz udeluje svemu vojevudci milost.

Jan Mydlar a Jan Jessenius
Jednoho vecera Mydlare navstivil Jan Jesensky s prosbou, zda by mohl byt pritomen poprave stetim. Pri jejich setkani se stala podivna vec. Kdyz Jesensky vstoupil do katova domu, vyrazne se na zdi pohnul mec, kterym se stinaly hlavy. To znamenalo, ze dotycny clovek jednou skonci na popravisti a bude sprovazen ze sveta prave timto mecem. Jan Jesensky se katove obave smal, povazoval to za hloupou poveru. Bohuzel, tato vestba se naplnila – i on byl 21. cervna 1621 mezi popravenymi pany. Jan Mydlar se stal dodavatelem mrtvol pro Jana Jessenia, ktery je pouzival ke svym anatomickym studiim. V roce 1600 se Jan Mydlar zucastnil prvni verejne pitvy s vykladem profesora Jessenia.

Zena Tobiase Stefka z Kolodej
Na dobovych kresbach a rytinach je zaznamenano, ze zeny odsouzenych ceskych panu chodily prosit, plakat a podplacet uredniky, kteri mohli rozhodnout, bude-li ci nebude jejich manzel propusten. Tragicka zoufalost zen, jejichz manzele byli odsouzeni k poprave, vrcholila v jejich odhodlani ucinit cokoli, aby svemu choti, kdyz nic jineho, ulehcili. Zena zalarovaneho Tobiase Stefka z Kolodej prisla za Mydlarem a dala mu pro chote jed a svedla jej. Historickymi dokumenty je take potvrzeno, ze v okamziku, kdy se prazsky kat Mydlar chysta setit hlavu Stefka, meni mec za ostry, aby to odsouzeneho „nebolelo“. Splnil prani jeho zeny, i kdyz kdokoli muze namitnout, ze vymena mece byla nahodna. Stejne tak je dolozeno, ze vymenil svuj mec za novy ostry i pred stetim hlavy sveho pritele Jana Jessenia

Staromestska exekuce 21.6.1621

Poprava

27 ceskych panu

vymrskani.

rozctvrceno a rozveseno za mestem.

Dvanact utatych hlav Kat Mydlar vynesl hned odpoledne po vykonane exekuci ve dvou putnach, tak jak mu bylo narizeno, na Staromestskou mosteckou vez a tam je z horniho ochozu jednu po druhe vystrcil nabodnute na dlouhych zeleznych prutech v dratenych kosich, aby byly vsechny zdola dobre viditelne. Sest jich pak trcelo z veze na staromestskou stranu a sest na opacnou stranu smerem k Mensimu Mestu prazskemu, prave nad vstupem na vlastni most.
Na hlavu hrabete Jachyma Ondreje Slika, a stejne tak i na hlavu doktora prav Jiriho Hauenschilda, polozil podle prikazu take jejich odtate pravice, kdezto na hlavu univerzitniho rektora Jana Jesenskeho polozil jeho jazyk, ktery mu jeste pred popravou zaziva vyrizl.

Hlavy byly pro vystrahu vsem stale na ocich.

Svedomi kata Mydlare
Kat Jan Mydlar skoncil jako obet utoku cizi moci na samou podstatu ceskeho statu. Jako prazsky kat byl postaven pred rozhodnuti splnit nebo nesplnit prikaz cisare Ferdinanda II. a cisarskeho komisare Karla z Lichtenstejna. Rozkazali mu zvednout mec, ale pro ci blaho tak cini? V historickych pramenech nalezame jeho vnitrni nesouhlas s popravou. O jeho chovani pri poprave vydal svedectvi knez Jan Rozacius. Kat Mydlar byl pod oboji, pri stinani panu „dal pozor na to, ze v modlitbach jim prekazeti nechtel, ale cekal casu, az smysl modliteb dokonan byl“ . Nikdy se nevyrovnal s tim, ze popravil sveho pritele Jana Jesenskeho. Uvedomuje si, cemu se podvolil. Od onoho tragickeho dne se na neho divaji nevrazive a nezvou ho, jako drive, do sve spolecnosti. Nic mu nejsou platne jeho penezi nadite mesce. Do te doby se citil normalnim obcanem, nyni je pro vsechny krvavym katem. Ztraci zenu, ktera neunesla jeho provineni a dobrovolne si vzala zivot. Bitva na Bile hore byla nepripravena a naivne prohrana bitva. Kat Mydlar si klade otazku, proc prave on ma pykat za prohru bitvy, v niz bojovali spatne placeni zoldneri a krale dosazeneho na trun ceskymi stavy.

Prague Executioner Jan Mydlar

Jan Mydlar is one of the most well-known executioners of the middle Ages because he carried out the biggest mass execution – the execution of 27 Bohemian rebel leaders. They were mostly Protestants, leading the rebellion against king Matyas and subsequently against King Ferdinand II.

The life of Jan Mydlar is described in the novel "The memoirs of a Prague Executioner" by Josef Svatek. Noteworthy is also the book "Kat Mydlar - ve sluzbach cisaru" by Karel Storkan, which is based on Josef Svatek's book.

According to Svatek, Jan Mydlar was born in burgher's family in Chrudim. He studied medicine at the university of Prague (he did not pass the final exam to be a doctor; according to other sources he passed the exam, but did not graduate). Instead of becoming a respectable physician (he was a talented student), he became executioner's apprentice in Chrudim. This decision in fact cast him to the edge of the society.
What reason could lead him to such decision? Neither more nor less than unfortunate love. Jan Mydlar fell in love with pretty Dorothy during his studies. The love wholly blinded him. He didn't realize that Dorothy repeated love to anyone who courted her. Dorothy had to marry old miller Vanura, and later she poisoned him. For this crime she was condemned to death
Jan Mydlar immediately left his studies and hurried back to Chrudim to save Dorothy. But only the executioner and his assistants could enter the prison. Jan did not hesitate and he became an apprentice of Chrudim executioner Jiri despite knowing that he will be cast out from respectable society. Though he didn't manage to save his beloved Dorothy, he had to carry on the executioner's work because he was already considered "untouchable"..

This story is a fiction made up by Josef Svatek. There isn't much authentic information about Jan Mydlar. According to historical records Jan Mydlar was possibly really born in Chrudim and he didn't originate from executioner's family. He became famous only after the execution of 27 Bohemian leaders on 21st June 1621. No similar execution has been made before. The name of Prague executioner has spread abroad to Europe. Some merchants were selling "genuine" swords with engraved names of executed rebels or with Mydlar's initials. Jan Mydlar became a wealthy man. Together with his wife Elisabeth, daughter of executioner Spetla, he bought a house in New Town, near well-known pub "U kalicha". His sons Jan Vaclav and Jiri succeeded to their father's trade.
Nevertheless in the beginning Jan Mydlar worked as an assistant of Prague executioner Jaros, who died about a year later. Jan applied for the job of the main executer for all three Prague towns. The town council agreed because Mydlar was both robust and skillful. As a medical student, he also knew exactly where to cut hid sword and how to draw blood. It is historically proved that when Mydlar defended his application for the position of Old Town's executioner, some opponents including burgomaster Krocina pointed out that despite his youth he is very experienced. He got the executioner position in the age of 22 or 23 years.

Facts
We can only guess about Jan Mydlar's adolescence and studies because we lack reliable information. We don't know his date of birth, but we know that in 1603 Mydlar (already as Prague executioner) saw the downfall of Jeronym Makovsky from Makova, the highest personal chamberlain of Rudolf II. Mydlar also saw the rise of intriguer Filip Lang, the successor of Makovsky. Filip was sent to prison on 1st June 1608 where he died by natural death before the delivery of his verdict. Jan Mydlar witnessed the events accompanying Rudolf's Letter of Majesty on 9th July 1609. According to the wish of Rudolf II, he visited magister Edward Kelley in Krivoklat to learn the secret of elixir of life and the transmutation of gold.

Old Town Executioner's house
Mydlar lived in a house near Old Jewish Cemetery, where the cemetery wall meets the Museum of Decorative Arts building. He received high wages for executions and tortures. In 1643 he bought a house in the Upper New Town near Pig Gate, together with his wife. Pig Gate used to stay on (later) I. P. Pavlov square. The house used to stay on the place where the street "Na Bojisti" is today, near well/known pub "U Kalicha"..

Herman Krystof Rusworm
The first mention of Mydlar's execution is the execution of Herman Krystof Rusworm. He was executed on 29th November 1605 by Jan Mydlar alone, without assistants, in the big room in Old Town's Hall. Herman Krystof Rusworm held his greatest achievements during Ottoman wars from 1593 to 1606. He fell into a trap of Italian generals and defames chamberlain Filip Lang. It is interesting that only a few hours after the execution a messenger arrived to the Old Town's Hall with Emperor Rudolf's personal order to pardon his general Rusworm. .

Jan Mydlar and Jan Jessenius
One evening Jan Jessenius visited Mydlar and asked for permission to be present at beheading execution. A strange thing happened: when Jessenius entered executioner's house, the sword on the wall moved. It meant that the man in question will end his life on the scaffold, killed exactly by this sword. Jan Jessenius only laughed at the executioner's concern and he considered it a stupid misbelief. Unfortunately this prophecy came true – he was one of the executed rebel leaders on 21st June 1621. For a long time Mydlar supplied Jessenius with dead bodies for his anatomical studies. In 1600 Jan Mydlar participated in the first public autopsy with the explanation of professor Jessenius. .

The wife of Tobias Stefka from Kolodeje
Old drawings and engravings show that wives of condemned rebel leaders came to sue, cry and bribe functionaries responsible for the decision if their husbands will be released. Women were so desperate that they decided to do anything at least to ease their husbands' pain, if nothing else. The wife of Tobias Stefka from Kolodeje came to Mydlar; she gave him a poison for her husband and seduced him. Historical records also confirm that before Mydlar beheaded Stefka, he changed his sword for a sharp one to save the executed man from pain. He fulfilled the woman's wish, even if someone may argue that the changing of swords was accidental. It is also confirmed that Mydlar took a sharp sword before beheading his friend Jan Jessenius. .

Old Town Execution, 21.6.1621

The execution of

27 Bohemian rebel leaders

whipped

quartered and hung behind the town.

According to the orders, Mydlar took out twelve heads in two dossers to Old Town Bridge Tower and pushed them out one by one from the upper walkway. The heads were placed in wire cages, stuck on long iron bars to be clearly visible from the street. Six heads were on Old Town's side and six on the other side towards Lesser Town.
Mydlar placed cut hands of Earl Jachym Ondrej Slik and doctor of law Jiri Hauenschild on the top of their heads. He also placed the tongue that he cut out from Jan Jessenius.

The heads were left there as a warning

It seems that the nature itself rebelled against this horrific decoration of Old Town Bridge Tower. Next spring an intense rain unfastened some iron bars. On 11th march 1622 the head of Prokop Dvorecky with the cage fell down to the bridge side of the tower. Another head soon followed. Both heads had to be placed back to the tower as a warning for people and a mockery of the defeated. The emperor Ferdinand II. was relentless and consistent in his cruel revenge.
Only the head of Jachym Ondrej Slik was removed after a year. The emperor allowed countess Slik to bury the head of her executed husband. Remaining eleven heads kept on hanging from the upper walkway of Old Town Bridge Tower to the east and west side. They were exposed to the weather and slowly decayed in wire cages on iron bars.

The conscience of executioner Mydlar
Jan Mydlar ended as a victim of the attack against the fundamental Bohemian principles. As an executioner he faced the decision whether to obey the order of Emperor Ferdinand II and his proconsul Karl I. from Lichtenstein. Mydlar was ordered to lift his sword, but for whose sake? Historical records describe his inner disagreement with the mass execution. Priest Jan Rozacius wrote a testimony about Mydlar's behavior during the execution: Mydlar was a Hussite and he took care not to disturb the last prayers of the executed, but he waited until they finished their prayers. He was never resigned to the execution of his friend Jan Jessenius. He was well aware of what he complied with. From that tragical day on, people were hostile to him; they excluded him from the society. His bags full of money were useless. Until then, he felt as a normal citizen, but thereafter everyone considered him a bloody murderer. He lost his wife who couldn't bear his guilt and took her life. The battle of White Mountain was poorly prepared and naively lost. Executioner Mydlar kept on asking himself why he should suffer for the defeat of badly paid mercenaries and the king instituted to the throne by Bohemian nobility.

Accounting of the execution
The whole sum was 584 loads (a load means 60 pcs) of small Groschen, which is price of a house in the center of the town. Proconsul Karl I. from Lichtenstein ordered to pay the executioner 50 extra loads.

Marginalization
Master executioner belonged to so-called inferior people and he was excluded from society in middle ages. His house stood behind city gates, he had a special appointed place in church and he couldn't share a table in a pub with other guests. People shunned and loathed him, nobody would shake his hand. He had his own special gate to enter the town and no other man would pass this gate. However, executioners were often renowned wound-healers and people asked them to manipulate fractures. Apart from their main profession, executioners had other unclean duties like removing suicide bodies, picking up carrions, killing stray dogs and in some towns (like Cesky Krumlov) even cleaning toilets. Such work didn't give them a nice smell and that was another reason why other people avoided them. Executioner profession was inheritable. Executioner's son carried on his father's job because he had no other choice – the society wouldn't accept him, despite the fact that executioners were wealthy.
Besides Jan Mydlar there were other well-known executioners in our country: Antonin Nimbursky from Pisek, Karel Huss from Cheb and Jan Baptist Piperger, the chief executioner of Bohemian Kingdom.