Why Prague Invented The Word Defenestration

People were thrown out of windows so often in historical Prague that a specific word was coined to describe it. The term emerged after angry rebels tossed government officials from a castle tower in 1618.

During the 17th century, the act of throwing someone through a window became a recurring political statement in Bohemia. While modern ears hear this as a bizarrely specific verb, it was once a recognized method of public execution and protest. These events were considered a form of group justice, blending mob violence with political signaling. The 1618 incident was so infamous that it eventually sparked the devastating Thirty Years War across Europe.