It’s still the holiday season on The Bodensee and the town of Konstanz was full of people as well as the locals going about their Monday business. A famous man lost his life here in 1415, burned at the stake as a heretic, as he’d been condemned by the first Council of Konstanz in 1414, the verdict being delivered in the Minster.
Jan Hus is a national hero in Czechia. In the lead-up to the first council of Konstanz in 1414, Hus had preached the views of the English churchman John Wycliffe. Hus condemed the sale of indulgences – much like Martin Luther 103 years later – as well as demanding the reform of the church.
Hus was promised safe passage to Konstanz so he could have his case heard by the council, but the higher church authorities reneged on their deal and Hus never left Konstanz alive.
Similar to St Gallen and Schaffhausen in Switzerland, Konstanz rewards a good walk around the old town. My advice is to obtain a map with at least some street names on it, otherwise you could end up walking away from the station instead of towards it. There are many paintings on buildings (eg Hotel Graf Zeppelin) as well as signs, church spires, and small side streets leading somewhere.
Near the Powder Tower (Pulverturm) there are four statues of Konstanz worthies by the waterside and it’s worth looking at them, as one of them in particular looks rather odd from a certain angle.
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