New Ceremonial Hall in Olšanské hřbitovy, Crematorium in Žižkov district, Czech Republic

The New Ceremonial Hall is the former Olšany crematorium, a Neo-Renaissance ceremonial building at the corner of Vinohradská and Jana Želivského streets in the southeast part of Olšany Cemetery. Prague's first crematorium was installed here in 1921 by rebuilding the municipal chapel to a design by František Xaver Nevole. After 1932 the building was converted back into a ceremonial hall.

Cremation was legalised in Czechoslovakia in 1919, and Prague converted the Neo-Renaissance municipal chapel at Olšany Cemetery into a temporary crematorium in 1921, designed by František Xaver Nevole. The first cremation, of MUDr. František Adamec, took place on 23 November 1921. After the Strašnice crematorium opened in 1932, cremations here ended and the building was turned back into a ceremonial hall.

The building began as the Neo-Renaissance municipal chapel of the 1st Municipal Cemetery, rebuilt in 1921 by František Xaver Nevole. After cremations ended in 1932 it was converted back into a ceremonial hall, the Nová obřadní síň, used for funerals at Olšanské hřbitovy. Its name refers to this later function rather than to cremation.

The site provides a separate glass viewing area where additional mourners can participate in ceremonies when the main hall is full. Check the opening times and access rules before visiting, as the facility is primarily used for funeral services.

The first cremation here, on 23 November 1921, was that of MUDr. František Adamec. The provisional facility operated only until 1932, when cremations moved to the new Strašnice crematorium and the building was converted back into a ceremonial hall.