Olšany Cemetery is the largest cemetery in Prague. It covers some fifty hectares. It is estimated that some two million people are buried here, including many famous figures: Jan Palach (martyr), Klement Gottwald (politician), Božena Němcová (writer), Franz Kafka (writer), Viktor Dyk (writer), Karel Kramář (politician) and many others.
The first cemetery was created on the site of the former village of Olšany after the plague epidemic of 1679. In 1786, when Emperor Joseph II banned all burials within the city walls, Olšany cemetery became Prague’s main burial ground. In 1886, a new Jewish cemetery and synagogue were added to the first cemetery, which was subsequently enlarged several times: today, the cemetery comprises a dozen independent cemeteries, hence its plural name in Czech, “the Olšany Cemeteries”. In the oldest part, there are abandoned or decaying tombs and monuments to great personalities. The most recent section, on the other hand, contains well-maintained tombs dating back to recent decades.
Olšany is also home to priceless works of art, including sculptures by leading Czech artists such as Ignác Platzer, Josef Zítek, J. V. Myslbek, František Bílek, Olbram Zoubek and many others.
