Third defenestration of Prague

The Third defenestration of Prague  is the name that is often used for an event that took place in Czechoslovakia in 1948.

The name the third defenestration of Prague is used but it has no standard meaning. It has been used to describe the death of Jan Masaryk. He was found below the bathroom window of the building of the Czechoslovak Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 10 March 1948. Masaryk had been the misiter of Foreign Affairs of Czechoslovakia from 1940 to his death in 1948.

The official report said the death was a suicide.  It was widely believed he was murdered. His murder was either by the Communist government or by the Soviet secret services. A Prague police report in 2004 said that at least one other person was involved in Masaryk's death.Cameron, Rob, "Police close case on 1948 death of Jan Masaryk – murder, not suicide", Radio Prague, 06-01-2004.  In 2006, a Russian journalist said that his mother knew the Russian intelligence officer who killed Masaryk.Cameron, Rob, "Masaryk murder mystery back in headlines as Russian journalist speaks out", Radio Prague, 18-12-2006.

A 2019 investigation did not agree with the earlier report. New research showed that Masaryk did not fall from the bathroom window, but from a near-by ledge. In 2021, the investigators said that there was not enough evidence to know how Masaryk' died.

Related pages
First defenestration of Prague - in 1419
Second defenestration of Prague

References

Category:History of the Czech Republic