John Hus was a Bohemian religious reformer and martyr. His name comes from the village of Husinec where he was born. Huss was the forerunner of Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation. He was a national hero whose influence is still felt in the Czech Republic. Huss was born into a peasant family and graduated from the University of Prague (Charles University). He began lecturing at the university in 1398 and served as rector twice. Huss was ordained a priest in 1400. At this time many religious leaders were demanding church reforms, Split by the Great Schism of the West, the church had two rival popes (later three). Huss accepted the ideas of the English reformer John Wycliffe and translated his works into Czech. He denounced the morals
