Additional information
by Josef Svátek (Author)
A young man from a privileged family, Jan Mydlar, is about to graduate from medical school when a sudden shift of fate changes his life forever. He becomes stuck in the most detested profession for the rest of his life-an executioner. Master Jan Mydlar finds himself in the middle of historical events of Bohemia. The religious and political turmoil in the Habsburg empire reaches its climax in the beginning of the 17th century. When Protestant leaders throw imperial Catholic governors out of the window of their offices at the Prague Castle, a civil war between Protestants and Catholics in Bohemia breaks out. The civil war explodes into a European conflict that lasts thirty years and leaves much of Europe in ruins. In the 1621 White Mountain Battle at Prague, Protestant rebels are defeated by Catholic forces and Master Jan is to execute 27 rebel leaders, most of whom are his fellow Protestants and countrymen. In "The Memoirs of a Prague Executioner," Jan Mydlar describes how he went from a medical graduate to an executioner, gives an account of medieval crime and punishment, and explains the manners and values of late 16th and early 17th century society. The book deals with documented crimes of the time in a similar way as the work of François Gayot de Pitaval. The book contains graphic descriptions of medieval torture.
Author Biography
Josef Svátek (1835-1897) was a Czech journalist, writer, and historian. He graduated from a technical college but decided to pursue a career in journalism. He was the chief editor of the Prager Zeitung. Collecting valuable material in historical archives, he used it in his writing. Svátek's area of interest was the historical period of the 16th, 17th, and 18th century. He wrote about the times of Emperor Rudolf II in Prague, the history of the postal service, Prague legends, etc. The Memoirs of the Prague Executioner Mydlar Family was his most successful book.
