Bethlehem Chapel has a unique place in the history of Prague. Starting in the early 15th century, the university master Jan Hus preached here. The chapel thus became the symbol of the Hussite movement in Bohemia.
It was founded in 1391 as a place for local preaching in Czech with a capacity of 3,000 persons. It represented a typical preaching space of an oblong groundplan with a wooden timber ceiling, a pulpit and high broken windows.
In the year 1622, the Jesuits took over the chapel and practiced divine services there again. In 1786, the chapel was abolished and demolished afterward. An apartment house was constructed in its place.
The architect Jaroslav Frágner initiated its reconstruction in the mid-20th century according to preserved drawings and paintings. The walls were decorated with paintings that complemented the texts of Hussite songs from the Jistebniz Hymn Book.