Cemetery in Vrbno pod Pradědem

The Cemetery in Vrbno pod Pradědem is a historic municipal cemetery set on a hillside just outside the centre of Vrbno pod Pradědem, a small town at the foot of Praděd in the Czech Jeseníky mountains. The present-day cemetery dates from the eighteenth century and replaced two earlier burial grounds that had served the town since the early 1600s — its history traces the story of a small Moravian-Silesian community across more than four centuries.

What burial sites existed in Vrbno before today's cemetery?

Before the current cemetery was established, residents of Vrbno buried their dead in several different locations around the town. As early as 1613, a Protestant cemetery was founded here, and shortly afterward a Catholic cemetery was laid out in the upper part of the town square, beside St Michael's Church — consecrated in 1655 by Bishop Jan Gobar. In 1633, during an epidemic, a separate plague cemetery was also set aside, in a clearing in front of the forest along the old road to Andělská Hora. Burials continued there for nearly two centuries, ending only in 1826, once building development around the square left no further room for the site to expand.

When was the current cemetery founded, and who consecrated it?

In 1774, the town purchased a plot of land on a hillside beyond the built-up area and enclosed it with a stone wall. Three years later, in 1777, the new cemetery was consecrated by the Bishop of Olomouc, Count Breuer. After the old plague cemetery closed in 1826, many gravestones and remains were transferred to this new site. Evidence of that transfer survives today: a stone grave slab dated 1707 is set into the cemetery's perimeter wall — one of the few physical links between the old burial ground and the new one.

How has the cemetery's size changed over time?

The cemetery grew alongside the town. In 1893, its grounds were enlarged and ownership passed to the church. It reached its final, present-day size — roughly 5,000 square metres — after a further enlargement in 1911, and that area has remained unchanged ever since, even as the town around it kept developing.

What else can visitors find on the grounds?

Alongside its historic gravestones and stone perimeter wall, the cemetery is home to an old linden tree, protected as a designated memorial tree (památný strom) because of its age and size. In 2016, a modern funeral hall was also built on the site, which today serves the funeral ceremonies of residents from the town and surrounding villages.

Why is the cemetery considered a heritage site?

Thanks to its history stretching back to the eighteenth century, along with surviving features such as the stone wall, the transferred gravestones and the 1707 memorial slab, the cemetery was entered into the national register of cultural monuments before 1988. That makes it more than just a burial ground — it stands as a witness to the architectural and historical development of Vrbno pod Pradědem, still legible to anyone who walks along its stone wall today.

Frequently asked questions

Where is the cemetery in Vrbno pod Pradědem located? On a hillside just beyond the town's built-up area, on land purchased in 1774.

When was the current cemetery established? The land was purchased in 1774, and the cemetery was consecrated in 1777.

What happened to the old plague cemetery? Burials there ended in 1826, and many gravestones and remains were moved to the new cemetery.

How large is the cemetery? About 5,000 square metres, following enlargements in 1893 and 1911.

Is the cemetery a protected heritage site? Yes, it was entered into the national register of cultural monuments before 1988.