JÁCHYMOV AND RELIGION
Introduction
Jáchymov emerged at a time of profound religious change in Europe. Shortly after the mining settlement was founded, Martin Luther published his theses in Wittenberg in 1517. Given the close ties to Saxony, from where many miners originated, and the linguistic composition of the population, it was only a matter of time before Reformation ideas gained ground here. Alongside Lutherans, Utraquists and members of the Unity of the Brethren were active in the town, while the Catholic Church also remained present. The religious development of the town was therefore marked from the outset by tension among several confessional currents.
Reformation and the Golden Age of Protestant Jáchymov
The Reformation quickly gained strong influence in Jáchymov. Although the Dominicans planned to build a monastery on the site of today’s Radiumpalace, these plans were abandoned as the town embraced Protestantism. The prepared building material was used elsewhere, including for the construction of the Manorial Mill. The radical preacher Thomas Müntzer also visited the town but did not find the level of support he had hoped for.
During the Schmalkaldic War, the town openly supported the Protestant side. After the defeat of the Protestant alliance, its rights were restricted; however, harsher punishment was avoided, largely because of the substantial revenues the Crown derived from mining.
A school is documented in Jáchymov as early as 1516. Under the influence of the Reformation, it developed into a Latin school. According to Luther, such schools played an essential role not only in educating youth but also in cultivating church music. An important figure was Johannes Mathesius, rector of the school and later preacher, whose diplomatic skill in negotiations before the king contributed to mitigating repression after the Protestant defeat. He also secured a certain degree of religious freedom for the inhabitants, which was far from common at the time.
Another significant personality was Nikolaus Herman, a teacher and musician who lived in Jáchymov from 1518 until his death in 1561. He became renowned as a composer of Protestant hymns, some of which are still sung in German-speaking regions today. His works played a crucial role in strengthening the Protestant identity of the local population.
Re-Catholicisation and Resistance
A major turning point came with the decline of the mines and the outbreak of the Thirty Years’ War. After 1620, re-Catholicisation began in the Czech lands, yet in the Loket region, including Jáchymov, it was initially slowed by armed resistance and by the proximity of Saxony. Re-Catholicisation therefore proceeded with military assistance.
On 19 August 1623, St Joachim’s Church, originally built as a Protestant church, was closed. On 9 September 1624, it was re-consecrated in the Catholic rite by the Dominican Georg Landherr. Nevertheless, the majority of inhabitants remained faithful to Protestantism. The Latin school was closed, Protestant pastors were expelled, and services were often held secretly in private homes or attended in Saxony.
In 1625, violent re-Catholicisation in Jáchymov was temporarily prohibited by decree of the ruler, as mining had revived and economic recovery was not to be endangered. However, a year later compulsory, though formally non-violent, re-Catholicisation was ordered. Those unwilling to conform had to leave the country. Their property became municipal property, with one quarter of its value paid to the ruler. Despite restrictions, the Jesuits attempted harsher measures and were expelled from the town by rebellious miners in 1631.
Franciscus Albanus and the Turning Point
The peak of re-Catholicisation efforts was represented by the Jesuit Franciscus Albanus, considered one of the most capable re-Catholicisers of his time. He soon realised that military pressure was ineffective. Numerous armies had passed through the town during the war, and the inhabitants had grown accustomed to their presence. Even the presence of an imperial garrison failed to bring decisive results.
By 1636, according to records, only three Catholics lived in Jáchymov, one of whom was noted as a notorious drunkard. In his correspondence, Albanus expressed admiration for the steadfast faith and theological knowledge of the townspeople, much of which they had gained through the hymns of Nikolaus Herman. In order to counter their arguments, he began studying Protestant writings and the holdings of the Latin library. The outcome was unexpected: Albanus left for Saxony and publicly converted to Protestantism.
Mass Emigration and the End of Protestant Jáchymov
The decisive break came after the Peace of Westphalia in 1648, which confirmed the re-Catholicisation of the Czech lands. In 1652, 854 miners with their families, along with other inhabitants, emigrated to Saxony, where Elector Johann Georg founded a new town for them – today’s Johanngeorgenstadt. In this wave of emigration, approximately half of Jáchymov’s population departed. The exodus followed the return of the Jesuits, accompanied by a strong imperial military unit.
Even in 1659, the local dean formally reprimanded the school cantor for singing Lutheran hymns. Jáchymov thus remained one of the last Protestant enclaves in Bohemia.
Protestants reappeared more visibly in the town only at the end of the nineteenth century. In 1914, the local Augsburg Confession congregation built the Church of the Saviour, which after 1945 was taken over by the Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren.
