How many stories lie beneath our feet here at Ruzyňský hřbitov? This is a place of rest. It is a sanctuary for those who once called Prague home.
Ruzyňský hřbitov is located in Prague 6 in the Ruzyně district. It lies nestled between Karlovarská street and Pod Hřbitovem street. The main gate faces east. The cemetery spans 0.42 hectares. It contains 30 tombs 660 graves and 110 urn graves.
The Cemetery Administration of Malvazinky and Bubenec manages Ruzyňský hřbitov. It is under the contributory organization Cemeteries and Funeral Services of Prague.
Ruzyňský hřbitov was the second cemetery established in Ruzyně. The first one from 1784-1788 was exclusively for Evangelicals. This one around 1900 was for the Roman Catholic population of Ruzyně. At that time Ruzyně belonged to the Liboc vicariate. The cemetery in Dolní Liboc was not sufficient anymore. It also served the inhabitants of Vokovice. It seemed too far for the people of Ruzyně.
The Ruzyňský hřbitov occupies a rectangular plot. It is situated north of Karlovarská street below its level. In the older eastern part a stone cross stands along the central path. It features a statue of the Crucified and is dated 1902. The central path leads west from the main gate. It leads to the neo-Gothic Chapel of St. Wenceslas with a mortuary. It was built from Bělohorský marlstone in 1902-1903. Originally it contained an altar with a painting of St. Wenceslas.
The inhabitants of Ruzyňský were allowed to celebrate the St. Wenceslas consecration annually. The Liboc parish priest and writer P. Vlastimil Hálek blessed the chapel. He celebrated the first holy mass on October 2 1905. West of the chapel lies the entrance to the second part of the cemetery. This section was established around 1943.
Several notable individuals and families are buried here in Ruzyňský hřbitov. Remigius von Bergamin with his family rests here. He was a Swiss nobleman and director of Strasser’s sugar factory in Ruzyně. From 1921 to 1926 he served as the honorary vice-consul of the Swiss Confederation in Czechoslovakia.
Three tombs belong to the Kubr family. They were farmers and landowners from Ruzyně. Two of them were elected mayors of Ruzyně. A mass grave contains 19 soldiers of the Russian Liberation Army. They fell on May 6 1945 during the liberation of the airport in Ruzyně.
The grave of Captain Robert B. Holmes no longer exists in Ruzyňský hřbitov. He was an American pilot. His Mustang crashed in Divoká Šárka forest on April 16 1945. After the war the Americans exhumed his remains. They buried him at the American War Cemetery in Saint Avold France. Later his family had him reburied at Fort Snelling National Cemetery. A memorial stands at the crash site in the forest.
Ruzyňský hřbitov offers a glimpse into the past. It connects us to the people who shaped this community. Take a moment to reflect on their lives. Consider their contributions to the history of Ruzyně and Prague.