Jan Mydlář (executioner)

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Jan Mydlář (1572-1664) was a 17th century Prague executioner. He is mostly known for his performance of the 1621 execution of 27 Bohemian rebel leaders.

The executed men were primarily Protestants; one man was a Catholic. They had organized an uprising against the Habsburg Emperor Matthias and later Ferdinand II. On June 21, 1621 between 5AM and 9AM, 27 men were executed. Twenty-four were beheaded and 3 were hanged. Twelve had their heads were displayed on the Prague Old Town Bridge Tower. The execution was unprecedented, not only in its magnitude. The condemned were men of high importance, representing various ranks of the Czech society and professions — noblemen, scholars, burghers, businessmen, etc. The execution was followed by reprisals against Protestants in Bohemia.

Mydlář is the central character of a 19th century novel by Josef Svátek. According to this story, young Mydlář became an executioner because of unhappy love, just before graduating from a medical school.