Slavín (Prague)

Slavín

Slavín is a tomb at the Vyšehrad Cemetery in Prague. Many notable Czech personalities are interred in the tomb.

History

The idea of the establishment of the pantheon, a joint last resting place of outstanding Czech personalities, appeared in the 1880s. The initiators were Vyšehrad provost and Mikuláš Karlach and Smíchov Mayor Petr Matěj Fischer, who also help to finance the monument.

Project of the monumental tomb was designed by architect Antonín Wiehl. Slavín was subsequently built in the years 1889-1893 on the eastern side of the Vyšehrad Cemetery. The sculptural decorations were made by Josef Mauder (1854-1920). The first burial in the tomb occurred eight years after its completion.

In 1901, poet Julius Zeyer was buried here as the first person. The last person interred at Slavín was conductor Rafael Kubelík in 2006. The tomb contains 44 burial tombs, mostly with coffins, some urns are stored as well. The remains of 55 people are currently interred in Slavín.

Notable interments

Poets and writers

Julius Zeyer, Josef Václav Sládek, Jaroslav Vrchlický, Růžena Svobodová, Jan Klecanda, Jaroslav Hilbert, Antonín Klášterský, František Xaver Svoboda, Josef Hora, Karel Toman, Marie Pujmanová, Josef Štefan Kubín