Intheearly17thcentury,BohemiawastornbetweentheProtestantsandtheRomanCatholics,whoenjoyedtheking'ssupport.In1617,theCatholicsorderedthecessationofconstructionofsomeProtestantchapels.TheProtestantsweresoenragedthat,on23May1618,whilethekingwasabsentfromBohemia,theytroopedintoPragueCastle,seizedthetworegents,andthrewthemaswellastheirsecretaryoutawindow,intendingtokillthem.
Martinitz,oneofthetworegents,criedashewasthrownout,"Jesus!Mary!""Let'ssee,"saidsomeonemockingly,"ifhisMarywillhelphim."Amomentlaterheadded,"ByGod,hisMaryhashelpedhim!"
Thethreemenhadlandedinadungheap,andimmediatelytooktotheirheels.ThisDefenestrationofPraguesparkedofftheThirtyYears'WarinEurope.
十七世紀初，波希米亞新教徒和國王支持的羅馬天主教徒鬥爭激烈。一六一七年，天主教徒下令停建一些新教徒禮拜堂。新教徒十分氣憤，一六一八年五月二十三日，成群結隊，闖進布拉格堡壘，當時國王不在國內。他們把兩個攝政官以及攝政官的秘書抓住，拋到窗外，要把他們摔死。
攝政官馬丁尼茨被拋出窗口時大叫：「耶穌！瑪麗！」群眾中一人語帶譏諷說：「看看他的瑪麗保不保佑他吧。」跟着，他說：「老天，瑪麗真的保佑他！」
那三人掉在一堆動物糞上，馬上逃去。這宗「布拉格拋人出窗口事件」觸發了歐洲的三十年戰爭。