Cemetery in Bořitov

Cemetery in Bořitov is a small but historically layered burial ground surrounding the local church at the heart of the village of Bořitov, near Blansko in Moravia. Rather than sitting apart from the settlement, as many modern cemeteries do, it grew directly around the church itself — the traditional arrangement for older Central European villages, where the place of worship and the place of burial shared the same ground for centuries.

How old is the cemetery really?

The site's history stretches back much further than its present layout suggests. Archaeological work along the cemetery wall and next to the neighboring house no. 2 uncovered graves dating to the early Slavic period. The skeletons in these oldest burials were laid out east to west, faces turned toward the east, following burial customs of that era. This suggests the ground was already used for burials long before any stone church stood here to give the cemetery its current shape.

A separate, later layer consists of graves dated to the 12th century, examined by the archaeologist J. Knies. His research helped trace the shift from these earlier, more scattered burials toward a more organized cemetery tied to the presence of a church building.

Why does the cemetery wrap around the church?

During the medieval period, the land immediately next to the church was largely built up, leaving little room for new graves close to the building. As a result, burials for a time moved to a steep, north-facing slope nearby. Only later, as the surrounding development changed, was space cleared to form a proper cemetery encircling the church on all sides. This layout — church at the center, graves arranged around it — is typical of many Moravian villages from this period, and it gives a walk through Bořitov a distinctly historical rhythm: just a few steps separate the cemetery wall from the church door.

What is kept in the charnel house?

One of the most distinctive features of the site is a charnel house standing in one corner of the cemetery. According to the village chronicler, it holds the remains of numerous Hussite fighters — soldiers who had come from the direction of Račice and were defeated in battle there. This detail ties the cemetery to the turbulent Hussite Wars of the 15th century, adding a layer of dramatic history beyond the site's purely religious function.

What has changed in the cemetery's more recent history?

The wall visible today around the cemetery is not entirely original — its front section was rebuilt in 1868. This 19th-century intervention shows that the cemetery remained in continuous use and required ongoing upkeep over the centuries, unlike many abandoned burial grounds that survive today only as ruins.

Frequently asked questions

Can visitors walk through the Cemetery in Bořitov? As an active parish cemetery surrounding the church, the site is generally accessible to visitors, with the usual expectation of quiet respect for a place of burial.

What is the oldest part of the cemetery? The earliest known burials date to the early Slavic period and were found near the cemetery wall, adjacent to house no. 2.

Where do the remains in the charnel house come from? Local chronicle tradition holds that the charnel house contains the bones of Hussite soldiers defeated in fighting near Račice.

When was the cemetery wall rebuilt? The front section of the cemetery wall dates from a reconstruction carried out in 1868.