Olšany Cemetery, Public burial ground in Žižkov, Prague, Czech Republic
Olšany Cemetery is a public burial ground in Žižkov, Prague, that extends across twelve separate sections and holds more than 230,000 graves along with six columbariums. The site features Art Nouveau architectural elements and holds the status of a national cultural monument of the Czech Republic.
The oldest section was consecrated on 29 January 1680 by parish priest Jan Václav Olomoucký during a plague epidemic, and the Church of St. Roch was added in 1682. In 1786, under Joseph II's reforms banning burials inside Prague, the cemetery became the main burial ground for the Old and New Towns. Further sections were consecrated through the 19th century, including the third in 1839 and the fifth in 1862.
The name comes from the vanished village of Olšany in Žižkov. The grounds hold the graves of Jan Palach, Karel Jaromír Erben, Josef Mánes, Jan Werich with Jiří Voskovec, and Ivan Hlinka, and the Jewish section, the largest in the country, contains Franz Kafka's grave beside a synagogue.
The grounds open at 8 AM throughout the year, but closing time shifts to 7 PM during warmer months and 5 PM when days grow shorter. Paved paths connect the separate sections and allow easy movement between areas, though some parts require walking on gravel or grass.
The grounds include a Jewish section considered the largest in the country, preserving many historical gravestones with Hebrew inscriptions. Orthodox graves feature distinct dome-shaped markers and icons that stand apart from monuments elsewhere in the complex.
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