Olšany Cemeteries (Czech: Olšanské hřbitovy, German: Wolschaner Friedhof) is the largest graveyard in Prague, Czech Republic, once laid out for as many as two million burials. The graveyard is particularly noted for its many remarkable Art Nouveau monuments.[1]
The Olšany Cemeteries were created in 1680 to accommodate plague victims who died en masse in Prague and needed to be buried quickly. In 1787, when the plague again struck the city, Emperor Joseph II banned the burial of bodies within Prague city limits and Olšany Cemeteries were declared the central graveyard for hygiene purposes.[2]
The Olšany necropolis consists of twelve cemeteries, including an Orthodox and a tiny Muslim section, the largest Jewish cemetery in the Czech Republic and military burial grounds. Among the thousands of military personnel buried at Olšany, there are Russian soldiers and officers from the Napoleonic Wars, members of the Czechoslovak Legion, Czechoslovak soldiers, officers and pilots who fought at the Eastern and Western Front and in North Africa during the Second World War as well as male and female members of the Soviet and Commonwealth (including British, Canadian, South African, Greek and Turkish Cypriot and Polish) armed forces who died for the freedom of Czechoslovakia in 1944–1945, including POWs. Based on a bilateral agreement, Czech authorities are responsible for the protection of Russian and Soviet military graves at the Czech territory (as the Russian Federation is responsible for protecting Czechoslovak war graves from both World Wars in Russia). The Commonwealth Prague War Cemetery, including 256 graves, was established under the terms of the 1949 War Graves Agreement between the UK and Czechoslovakia and is maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. [1]
There are two ceremonial halls assigned to bid farewell to the deceased; the newer one is located in a building of the Prague's first crematorium. New to the scene is the "Olšany Cemeteries Learning Trail" which is so far mapping the history of three of the oldest sections, also sketching the life stories of some celebrities buried here. Prague's Olšany cemeteries excel in their picturesque style and tranquil nooks, surpassing even Malostranský cemetery and Slavín, being the biggest necropolis in the Czech Republic.[3]
Till this day there is evidence of 230,000 people buried, 65,000 grave sites, 200 chapel graves and six columbariums in Olšany Cemeteries.[4]
Famous burialsedit
Tomb of Avgustyn Voloshyn, the first and only president of Carpatho-UkraineGraves of British Commonwealth service personnel, Olšany Cemetery
Many well-known people are buried at Olšany Cemeteries, including:
Karel Kramář (1860–1937), politician and first Prime Minister of Czechoslovakia (November 1918 – July 1919) and his Russian wife Nadezhda (1862–1936) are buried in the crypt of the Dormition Church (Chrám Zesnutí přesvaté Bohorodice) in the Orthodox section of the cemetery
Jan Syrový (1888–1970), general and Prime Minister of Czechoslovakia during the Munich Crisis (September–December 1938), as well as acting president following the resignation of Edvard Beneš
Klement Gottwald (1896–1953), communist President of Czechoslovakia (1948–1953); his body was originally displayed in a mausoleum at the site of the Jan Žižka monument. In 1962 the body was cremated, the ashes returned to the Žižka Monument and placed in a sarcophagus. In 1990, Gottwald's ashes were moved to Olšany Cemetery, together with the ashes of about 20 other communist leaders which had also originally been placed in the Žižka Monument.[5]
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This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Olsany Cemetery news newspapers books scholar JSTOR April 2012 Learn how and when to remove this message Olsany Cemeteries Czech Olsanske hrbitovy German Wolschaner Friedhof is the largest graveyard in Prague Czech Republic once laid out for as many as two million burials The graveyard is particularly noted for its many remarkable Art Nouveau monuments 1 Olsany CemeteryOlsanske hrbitovyOlsany Cemetery in winterDetailsEstablished1680LocationPragueCountryCzech RepublicCoordinates50 04 50 N 14 28 14 E 50 080556 N 14 470556 E 50 080556 14 470556TypePublicStyleArt NouveauNo of graves65 000Find a GraveOlsany Cemetery Contents 1 History 2 Famous burials 2 1 Writers artists and actors 2 2 Politicians 2 3 Others 3 In popular culture 4 References 5 External linksHistory editThe Olsany Cemeteries were created in 1680 to accommodate plague victims who died en masse in Prague and needed to be buried quickly In 1787 when the plague again struck the city Emperor Joseph II banned the burial of bodies within Prague city limits and Olsany Cemeteries were declared the central graveyard for hygiene purposes 2 The Olsany necropolis consists of twelve cemeteries including an Orthodox and a tiny Muslim section the largest Jewish cemetery in the Czech Republic and military burial grounds Among the thousands of military personnel buried at Olsany there are Russian soldiers and officers from the Napoleonic Wars members of the Czechoslovak Legion Czechoslovak soldiers officers and pilots who fought at the Eastern and Western Front and in North Africa during the Second World War as well as male and female members of the Soviet and Commonwealth including British Canadian South African Greek and Turkish Cypriot and Polish armed forces who died for the freedom of Czechoslovakia in 1944 1945 including POWs Based on a bilateral agreement Czech authorities are responsible for the protection of Russian and Soviet military graves at the Czech territory as the Russian Federation is responsible for protecting Czechoslovak war graves from both World Wars in Russia The Commonwealth Prague War Cemetery including 256 graves was established under the terms of the 1949 War Graves Agreement between the UK and Czechoslovakia and is maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission 1 There are two ceremonial halls assigned to bid farewell to the deceased the newer one is located in a building of the Prague s first crematorium New to the scene is the Olsany Cemeteries Learning Trail which is so far mapping the history of three of the oldest sections also sketching the life stories of some celebrities buried here Prague s Olsany cemeteries excel in their picturesque style and tranquil nooks surpassing even Malostransky cemetery and Slavin being the biggest necropolis in the Czech Republic 3 Till this day there is evidence of 230 000 people buried 65 000 grave sites 200 chapel graves and six columbariums in Olsany Cemeteries 4 Famous burials edit nbsp Tomb of Avgustyn Voloshyn the first and only president of Carpatho Ukraine nbsp Graves of British Commonwealth service personnel Olsany Cemetery Many well known people are buried at Olsany Cemeteries including Writers artists and actors edit Bernard Bolzano 1781 1848 mathematician Karel Havlicek Borovsky 1821 1856 writer Jaroslav Cermak 1831 1878 painter Viktor Dyk 1877 1931 writer and conservative politician Karel Jaromir Erben 1811 1870 writer Rudolf Hrusinsky 1920 1994 actor Vaclav Kliment Klicpera 1792 1859 playwright Jan Kollar 1793 1852 Slovak Lutheran pastor philologist and writer Josef Lada 1887 1957 artist and writer Viktor Oliva 1861 1928 artist Ossi Oswalda 1897 1947 German actress in silent film Jan Rejsa 1886 1971 artist editor and writer Pavel Jozef Safarik 1795 1861 Slovak philologist and historian Antonin Slavicek 1870 1910 painter Ladislav Stroupeznicky 1850 1892 playwright Jan Erazim Vocel 1803 1871 poet archaeologist historian and cultural revivalist Jiri Voskovec 1905 1981 actor and playwright Jan Werich 1905 1980 actor Vladimir Mensik 1929 1988 actor and comedian Politicians edit Karel Kramar 1860 1937 politician and first Prime Minister of Czechoslovakia November 1918 July 1919 and his Russian wife Nadezhda 1862 1936 are buried in the crypt of the Dormition Church Chram Zesnuti presvate Bohorodice in the Orthodox section of the cemetery Jan Syrovy 1888 1970 general and Prime Minister of Czechoslovakia during the Munich Crisis September December 1938 as well as acting president following the resignation of Edvard Benes Radola Gajda 1892 1948 military officer and eventually general with the Czechoslovak Legions in World War I and the Russian Civil War later one of the founders of the fascist yet anti German National Fascist Community and member of the Czechoslovakian Parliament Klement Gottwald 1896 1953 communist President of Czechoslovakia 1948 1953 his body was originally displayed in a mausoleum at the site of the Jan Zizka monument In 1962 the body was cremated the ashes returned to the Zizka Monument and placed in a sarcophagus In 1990 Gottwald s ashes were moved to Olsany Cemetery together with the ashes of about 20 other communist leaders which had also originally been placed in the Zizka Monument 5 Piotra Krecheuski 1879 1928 Belarusian statesman and president of the Rada of the Belarusian Democratic Republic in exile Vasil Zacharka 1877 1943 Belarusian politician activist president of the Rada of the Belarusian Democratic Republic in exile Svetozar Pribicevic 1875 1936 was a Croatian Serb politician in Austria Hungary Others edit Jan Palach 1948 1969 student who set himself on fire in Wenceslas Square Prague as a protest against the 1968 Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia Pavel Roman 1943 1972 winner of four consecutive titles 1962 1963 1964 and 1965 in ice dancing at the World Figure Skating Championships with his sister Eva Jake Madden 1865 1948 Scottish footballer and later Manager of SK Slavia Praha for 25 yearsIn popular culture editPart of the movie Bad Company was filmed in Olsany Cemeteries References edit Vitochova Marie Kejr Jindrich Vsetecka Jiri 1995 Prague and Art Nouveau Translated by Rath Denis Prescott Mark Prague V Raji New Town and Suburbs Nove Mesto Prague Attractions PlanetWare Retrieved 12 November 2012 Beauty and Fame of Olsany Cemeteries Portal of Prague Praha eu 8 December 2010 Retrieved 12 November 2012 Beauty and Fame of Olsany Cemetery Praha com Archived from the original on 16 March 2012 Retrieved 12 November 2012 Radio Prague Exhibition at Vitkov Memorial highlights the Klement Gottwald personality cult 8 March 2012 Retrieved 19 September 2012 External links edit nbsp Czech Republic portal nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Olsanske hrbitovy Cemetery details in Czech Olsany Cemetery at Find a Grave nbsp Olsany Cemetery photo gallery Transcripts of Headstones Photos of graves at Olsany 2 3 4 Photo gallery in 3 D CWGC Prague Olsany Cemetery Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Olsany Cemetery amp oldid 1202126554, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
