Wiclif and Hus

What it is

Written by Johann Loserth, a professor of history, and translated from German, this 1884 book compares the ideas of Jan Hus with those of John Wycliffe, the English reformer who died decades before Hus. It was published in London.

Why it matters

This study argues for a close connection between Hus's teachings and those of Wycliffe, helping to explain how reforming ideas travelled from England to Bohemia before the Reformation. It shows how nineteenth-century scholars traced the roots of religious reform across Europe.

Look closer

• Why might it matter to historians whether Hus's ideas came mainly from Wycliffe or developed independently?
• What kind of evidence would a historian need to prove that one thinker's ideas influenced another?
• How might this comparison change how we understand Hus's place in the history of the Reformation?