“Where do the shadows of Prague’s past truly reside?” That’s the question that brings us here to Olšany Cemetery. This is no ordinary graveyard. Olšany Cemetery is the largest in Prague. It sprawls across many hectares. Olšany Cemetery holds stories etched in stone.
Founded in 1680, Olšany Cemetery began as a plague burial ground. Desperate times called for desperate measures. Prague needed a place to bury its many plague victims quickly. In 1787, Emperor Joseph II banned burials within the city. Olšany Cemeteries became Prague’s central graveyard.
Olšany Cemetery consists of twelve cemeteries. You’ll find an Orthodox section here. A tiny Muslim section also exists. The largest Jewish cemetery in the Czech Republic is here too. Military burial grounds honor soldiers from many conflicts. Russian soldiers from the Napoleonic Wars rest here. Members of the Czechoslovak Legion are buried here. Soldiers who fought in World War II also lie here. The Commonwealth Prague War Cemetery is part of Olšany. It holds 256 graves.
The Olšany Cemeteries Learning Trail maps the history of the oldest sections. It tells the life stories of some celebrities buried here. Prague’s Olšany Cemeteries are picturesque and tranquil.
Over 230,000 people are buried here. There are 65,000 grave sites. You can also find 200 chapel graves and six columbariums. Many famous people are buried at Olšany Cemeteries. Writers like Karel Havlíček Borovský rest here. Artists such as Josef Lada are interred here. Actors like Rudolf Hrušínský also found their final resting place here. Politicians such as Karel Kramář are buried in Olšany Cemetery. Jan Palach, who protested the Soviet invasion, is also buried here.
The neo-Gothic crypt of František Václav Pštross stands as a work of art. Pštross was once the Mayor of Prague. He promoted the Czech language in city administration.
Olšany Cemetery even has its own vampire myth. Upír Dopiječ is a shy vampire. He only licks the scraped knees of passersby.
Walking through Olšany Cemetery offers a journey through Czech history. Each gravestone tells a story. Each monument reflects a life lived. Remember the names and the stories. Reflect on the lives that shaped Prague and the Czech Republic. As you leave Olšany Cemetery, carry these stories with you.