Heresy
Hus at the Council of Constance
Hus arrived in Constance in October 1414. He was not immediately arrested, but he was prohibited from preaching while there. Within weeks, though, the Council placed him under arrest, ostensibly for his own protection. He was only under house arrest and was allowed visitors and allowed to write letters.
In March 1415, though, after Pope John XXIII made his speedy exit from town, the Council had Hus removed to the castle of the bishop of Constance, at Gottlieben, and there he was isolated, truly imprisoned. From there he was brought back to the city, in May, and placed on trial.
Throughout this process, Emperor Sigismund essentially abandoned Hus. The only thing he did was to lobby for a public trial, but otherwise he utterly abdicated the promise of protection.
Hus' trial was a sham. He would be asked questions and when he began to explain his position, he would be shouted down. It was so bad at the first session that it had to be adjourned. Even at the other two sessions, he was barely afforded a chance. It became obvious to him that he would be condemned, but he persisted in trying. In the end, though, he refused to back down. The Council tried to assert that he made certain claims, which Hus steadfastly maintained that he did not hold. Since he would not confess to beliefs that he did not hold, he was condemned as an unrepentant heretic. He was burned at the stake on 6 July 1415.