Cemetery in Mařatice

The Cemetery in Mařatice is the main municipal cemetery of Uherské Hradiště, a town in southeastern Moravia, and has served as the town's principal burial ground for more than two centuries. Beyond its practical role, it works almost like an open-air chronicle of local history, holding the graves of politicians, artists, legionnaires and victims of both world wars, with several tombstones counted among the works of notable Czech and Moravian sculptors.

How did burials here begin?

The tradition of burying the dead in this part of town goes back to the early 17th century, tied to the early Baroque Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, built in 1614 — burials took place around the church even before a formal municipal cemetery existed. The cemetery in its current form was only established in 1784, after Emperor Joseph II issued a decree banning burials within town walls, a reform that led to the creation of similar municipal cemeteries across the Habsburg monarchy. The first known burial at the new site was that of district captain František Zikmund Žalkovský z Žalkovic, who died in 1796.

How did the cemetery grow over time?

The most significant reconstruction and expansion took place in 1870–1871, and the grounds were enlarged several more times in the following decades as the population of Uherské Hradiště grew. In 1936, a separate section was set aside specifically for residents of Mařatice, who had previously been buried in the nearby district of Sady — it is this local history that gave the cemetery its present name.

What mark did the 20th-century wars leave here?

The cemetery bears a clear imprint of both world wars. In early 1916, more than 400 refugees from Galicia, displaced by fighting on the eastern front, were buried in mass graves in the newer section. After the First World War, this part of the cemetery remained unfenced for a long time and was used partly for burying poor patients who died in the local state hospital, while a large portion of it was later turned into a military cemetery. This layered history makes the Cemetery in Mařatice not just a place of family remembrance, but also a physical record of the turbulent first half of the 20th century in the region.

Who is buried here?

The cemetery holds the graves of figures who left a lasting mark on the history of Uherské Hradiště, including former mayors František Beneš and Jan Protzkar, as well as politicians, writers, visual artists and soldiers who served in the Czechoslovak legions and in foreign armies. A symbolic grave honors the writer Božena Benešová, reflecting her enduring ties to the town, and a memorial is dedicated to Jan Antonín Baťa and his wife. Several tombstones qualify as genuine works of funerary art, created by well-known Czech and Moravian sculptors, which turns a walk through the cemetery's alleys into something close to a lesson in local art history.

Why is it worth a visit?

The Cemetery in Mařatice is not a conventional tourist attraction, but for anyone interested in Moravian history and the story of Uherské Hradiště it offers an unusually rich set of layers — from its Baroque origins, through the Josephine burial reforms, to the dramatic episodes of both world wars. It is also a good place to observe how a local community has honored its most notable citizens across more than two centuries.

Frequently asked questions

When was the cemetery in Mařatice founded? Burials in the area date back to 1614 near the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, but the formal municipal cemetery was established in 1784 following Emperor Joseph II's decree.

Why is it called the Cemetery in Mařatice? It is named after the Mařatice district, for which a separate section was created in 1936 — before that, its residents had been buried at the cemetery in Sady.

What is the cemetery's connection to the First World War? In early 1916, more than 400 refugees from Galicia were buried here in mass graves, and part of the newer section later served as a military cemetery.

Who notable is buried at this cemetery? Among others, former mayors František Beneš and Jan Protzkar, writer Božena Benešová (symbolic grave), and Jan Antonín Baťa together with his wife.