Prague's cemeteries

One can learn much history from visiting cemeteries. Czech soldiers died for the Austro-Hungarian Empire in wars far from home. Bohemia, home to Slavic peoples, became part of the Holy Roman Empire (the collection of lands ruled by the Habsburg monarchy) in the 12th century. As such, the Slavic-speaking Czechs were ruled by German-speaking overlords for eight centuries before Czechoslovakia was to emerge from the rubble of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1918. Meanwhile, Czechs were sent to die abroad in wars that were of no consequence to the lands of the Czechs. 

Below: the First World War section of Prague's 60-hectare Olšany Necropolis (Olšanské hřbitovy), the Vojenská pohřebiště (War Cemetery). Here I come across graves dated 1913, reminding me that the two Balkan Wars (1912-1914) were among the key underlying causes of WW1. Tomorrow we celebrate the 20th anniversary of Czechia and Poland joining the EU along with Slovakia, Hungary, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Croatia and Slovenia. Gazing upon these reminders of death and suffering that nationalist tensions brought to our part of the continent, one can only be happy.

A separate part of Olšany is Prague's New Jewish Cemetery in the south-east corner of the necropolis. The oldest Jewish cemetery is in the Old Town; sadly it was closed during my visit along with the historic synagogues because of Pesach holiday. Another old Jewish cemetery lies around the foot of the Žižkov TV tower, many graves were removed for the tower's construction which began towards the end of the communist era.

Below: the grave of Franz Kafka, for which the New Jewish Cemetery is most famous. It's the only grave signposted from the entrance, and is littered with pens, pencils and stones with names written upon them. The centenary of Kafka's death falls on 3 June this year. 

The New Jewish Cemetery contains the bodies of many notable Czech Jews, including industrialists and their families, some of whom are buried in spectacular mausoleums. The cemetery was spared desecration by the Nazis during their occupation of Prague.

The Soviet section of the war cemetery remains as a stark reminder that one murderous tyrant's rule over Czechoslovakia was replaced by another's. A contrast, however, between the Czech experience of the 20th century and that of Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia's centres on mass deportations. Neither Czechia nor Slovakia were subjected to these; consequently, the USSR is not viewed today with quite the same degree of visceral hatred. Having said that, Poland did not experience a 1968-style Soviet invasion as did Czechoslovakia.

Immediately recognisable as a Commonwealth War Grave, this section of the war cemetery contains the bodies of fallen pilots and prisoners of war who died in camps across Nazi-occupied Czechoslovakia. The second row here marks the seven crew members of a RAF Lancaster bomber from 301 (Polish) Squadron, shot down over Prague on 29 December 1944.

To begin to understand a nation's history, visit its cemeteries.

This time two years ago:
Got a bit of a cold (Pt II)

This time three years ago:
Identified – photographs from long ago

This time four years ago:

Things will never be the same

This time five years ago:
April's end, summer's beginning

This time six years ago:
Best April ever?

This time seven years ago:
The search for the Gold Train: Day Two

This time eight years ago:
Semi-automatic (short story)

This time 12 years ago:
So good to be back in Warsaw

This time 13 years ago:
At the President's

This time 15 years ago:
Summer's here, and the time is right...

This time 17 years ago:
Why I'm staying in Warsaw