In 2022, we commemorated the anniversary of the expulsion of the Anabaptists from the Lands of the Bohemian Crown, which took place in 1622 after the Battle of White Mountain and the subsequent counter-Reformation. The Anabaptist movement originated in 1525 in Switzerland, and the first Habans arrived in Moravia and Slovakia only a year later. Because of its radical nature, the movement was persecuted in many countries and the Habans had to move constantly. It was during the reign of Louis II Jagiellon, king of Hungary, Croatia, and Bohemia, that religious freedom prevailed and allowed the Habans to settle here. If it had not been for this, we would not have the valuable artisanal artefacts that survive to this day, which were at the height of their craft throughout Europe at the time. Because of their fine craftsmanship in many fields, the Anabaptists were sought after by clients from the nobility that wanted to ingratiate themselves. One of the areas in which the Anabaptists excelled was pottery, so much so that the term Haban faience remains significant today in ceramics. Come and see a selection of pieces from the Lobkowicz Collections, including a set of trays that are the oldest known surviving evidence of the Anabaptist clientele from the ranks of nobility.

Curator: Mgr. Lucie Vojtíšková