Olšany Cemetery
Encyclopedia
Olšany Cemetery is the largest graveyard
in Prague
, Czech Republic
, once having as many as two million burials. The cemetery is particularly noted for its many remarkable art nouveau
monuments.
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 Cemetery was declared the central graveyard for hygiene purposes.
Olšany necropolis
consists of twelve cemeteries. There are two ceremonial halls assigned to bid farewell to the deceased; the newer one is located in a building of the former of Prague's first crematoriums. New to the scene is the "Olšany Cemetery Learning Trail" which is so far mapping the history of three of the oldest sections and also sketches the life stories of some celebrities buried here. Prague's Olšany cemetery excels in its picturesque style and its tranquil nooks, surpassing even Malostranský cemetery and Slavín
, and is the biggest necropolis in the Czech Republic.
To this day there is evidence of 230,000 people buried, 65,000 graves sites, 200 chapel graves and six columbarium
s in Olšany Cemetery.
Part of the movie Bad Company
was filmed in Olšany Cemetery.
Graveyard
A graveyard is any place set aside for long-term burial of the dead, with or without monuments such as headstones...
in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
, Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
, once having as many as two million burials. The cemetery is particularly noted for its many remarkable art nouveau
Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau is an international philosophy and style of art, architecture and applied art—especially the decorative arts—that were most popular during 1890–1910. The name "Art Nouveau" is French for "new art"...
monuments.
History
The Olšany Cemetery was created in 1680 to accommodate plagueGreat Plague of Vienna
The Great Plague of Vienna occurred in 1679 in Vienna, Austria, the imperial residence of the Austrian Habsburg rulers. From contemporary descriptions, the disease is believed to have been bubonic plague, which is caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, carried by fleas associated with the black...
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 Cemetery was declared the central graveyard for hygiene purposes.
Olšany necropolis
Necropolis
A necropolis is a large cemetery or burial ground, usually including structural tombs. The word comes from the Greek νεκρόπολις - nekropolis, literally meaning "city of the dead"...
consists of twelve cemeteries. There are two ceremonial halls assigned to bid farewell to the deceased; the newer one is located in a building of the former of Prague's first crematoriums. New to the scene is the "Olšany Cemetery Learning Trail" which is so far mapping the history of three of the oldest sections and also sketches the life stories of some celebrities buried here. Prague's Olšany cemetery excels in its picturesque style and its tranquil nooks, surpassing even Malostranský cemetery and Slavín
Vyšehrad cemetery
Established in 1869 on the grounds of Vyšehrad Castle in Prague, Czech Republic, the Vyšehrad cemetery is the final resting place of many composers, artists, sculptors, writers, and those from the world of science and politics...
, and is the biggest necropolis in the Czech Republic.
To this day there is evidence of 230,000 people buried, 65,000 graves sites, 200 chapel graves and six columbarium
Columbarium
A columbarium is a place for the respectful and usually public storage of cinerary urns . The term comes from the Latin columba and originally referred to compartmentalized housing for doves and pigeons .The Columbarium of Pomponius Hylas is a particularly fine ancient Roman example, rich in...
s in Olšany Cemetery.
Part of the movie Bad Company
Bad Company (2002 film)
Bad Company is a 2002 action-comedy film directed by Joel Schumacher, produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and starring Anthony Hopkins and Chris Rock.-Plot:...
was filmed in Olšany Cemetery.
Writers, artists, and actors
- Karel Havlíček BorovskýKarel Havlícek BorovskýKarel Havlíček Borovský was a Czech writer, poet, critic, politician, journalist, and publisher. He lived and studied at the Gymnasium in Německý Brod , and his house on the main square is today the Havlíček Museum...
(1821-1856), writer - Viktor DykViktor DykViktor Dyk was a well-known Czech poet, prose writer, playwright, politician and political writer....
(1877-1931), writer and conservative politician - Karel Jaromír ErbenKarel Jaromír ErbenKarel Jaromír Erben was a Czech historian, poet and writer of the mid-19th century, best known for his collection Kytice , which contains poems based on traditional and folkloric themes....
(1811-1870), writer - Václav Kliment KlicperaVáclav Kliment KlicperaVáclav Kliment Klicpera was a Czech playwright, author, and poet. He was one of the first presenters of Czech drama, and was especially influential in the foundation of comedic Czech theater....
(1792-1859), playwright - Jaroslav ČermákJaroslav Čermák (painter)Jaroslav Čermák was a Czech painter known primarily for his history paintings. Many of his paintings are in the collection of the National Gallery in Prague.- Biography :...
(1831-1878), painter - Josef LadaJosef LadaJosef Lada was a Czech painter and writer.He is best known as the illustrator of Jaroslav Hašek's World War One novel The Good Soldier Švejk...
(1887-1957), artist and writer - Viktor OlivaViktor OlivaViktor Oliva was a Czech painter and illustrator.His most famous painting, "Absinthe Drinker" , hangs on the wall of the historical Cafe Slavia in Prague, Czech Republic....
(1861-1928), artist - Antonín SlavíčekAntonín SlavícekAntonín Slavíček was a renowned Czech painter.He was a part of the Czech impressionist movement. One of his most famous works is "Garden Wall," which hangs in the National Gallery in Prague.-External links:**...
(1870–1910), painter - Ladislav StroupežnickýLadislav StroupežnickýLadislav Stroupežnický was a renowned Czech author, playwright, and dramatist, best known for the frequently staged play Naši furianti.-Life:...
(1850-1892), playwright - Jiří VoskovecJirí VoskovecJiří Voskovec was a Czech-American actor, playwright, dramatist, director, translator, and poet...
(1905-1981), actor and playwright - Jan WerichJan WerichJan Werich was a Czech actor, playwright and writer.-Life:Between 1916 to 1924 he attended "reálné gymnasium" in Křemencová Street in Prague...
(1905-1980), actor
Politicians
- Karel KramářKarel KramárKarel Kramář was a Czech politician.- Biography :Leader of the Young Czech Party in Austria-Hungary and later of the National Democratic Party in Czechoslovakia...
(1860-1937), politician and first Prime Minister of Czechoslovakia (November 1918 - July 1919) - Jan SyrovýJan SyrovýJan Syrový was a Czechoslovak Army four star general and the prime minister during the Munich Crisis.-Early life and military career:...
(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 BenešEdvard BenešEdvard Beneš was a leader of the Czechoslovak independence movement, Minister of Foreign Affairs and the second President of Czechoslovakia. He was known to be a skilled diplomat.- Youth :... - Radola GajdaRadola GajdaRadola Gajda, born as Rudolf Geidl, was a Czech/Montenegrin military commander and politician.- Early years :...
(1892–1948), military officer (and eventually general) with the Czechoslovak LegionsCzechoslovak LegionsThe Czechoslovak Legions were volunteer armed forces composed predominantly of Czechs and Slovaks fighting together with the Entente powers during World War I...
in World War IWorld War IWorld War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and the Russian Civil WarRussian Civil WarThe Russian Civil War was a multi-party war that occurred within the former Russian Empire after the Russian provisional government collapsed to the Soviets, under the domination of the Bolshevik party. Soviet forces first assumed power in Petrograd The Russian Civil War (1917–1923) was a...
; later one of the founders of the fascist (yet anti-German) National Fascist CommunityNational Fascist CommunityThe National Fascist Community was a Czechoslovakian Fascist movement led by Radola Gajda, and based on the Fascism of Benito Mussolini.-Formation and ideology:...
and member of the Czechoslovakian Parliament - Klement GottwaldKlement GottwaldKlement Gottwald was a Czechoslovakian Communist politician, longtime leader of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia , prime minister and president of Czechoslovakia.-Early life:...
(1896-1953), communist President of Czechoslovakia (1948-1953); his remains were moved to Olšany Cemetery from the Žižkov memorial in 1962
Others
- Jan PalachJan PalachJan Palach was a Czech student who committed suicide by self-immolation as a political protest.- Death :...
(1948-1969), student who set himself on fire in Wenceslas SquareWenceslas SquareWenceslas Square is one of the main city squares and the centre of the business and cultural communities in the New Town of Prague, Czech Republic. Many historical events occurred there, and it is a traditional setting for demonstrations, celebrations, and other public gatherings...
in Prague as a protest against the 1968 Warsaw Pact invasion of CzechoslovakiaWarsaw Pact invasion of CzechoslovakiaOn the night of 20–21 August 1968, the Soviet Union and her main satellite states in the Warsaw Pact – Bulgaria, the German Democratic Republic , Hungary and Poland – invaded the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic in order to halt Alexander Dubček's Prague Spring political liberalization... - Pavel RomanPavel RomanPavel Roman was a Czech figure skater. Together with his sister Eva Romanová he won four World Figure Skating Championships titles in ice dancing.-Career:...
(1943-1972), winner of four consecutive titles (1962, 1963, 1964, and 1965) in ice dancingIce dancingIce dancing is a form of figure skating which draws from the world of ballroom dancing. It was first competed at the World Figure Skating Championships in 1952, but did not become a Winter Olympic Games medal sport until 1976....
at the World Figure Skating ChampionshipsWorld Figure Skating ChampionshipsThe World Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union in which elite figure skaters compete for the title of World Champion...
with his sister Eva
External links
- Cemetery details (in Czech)
- Olšany Cemetery (photo gallery)
- Transcripts of Headstones
- Photos of graves at Olšany http://www.zboray.com/graves/Praha/Olsanske/index.htm, http://www.zboray.com/graves/Praha/Olsany_II_ob/, http://www.flickr.com/photos/anachronism_uk/sets/72157594580523706/