Městský hřbitov v Náchodě

Městský hřbitov v Náchodě (the Municipal Cemetery of Náchod) is the main burial ground of the town, located in the Staré Město nad Metují district on the southwestern edge of Náchod, along Hřbitovní street near railway line 026. For centuries it has served as the resting place for the town's residents, while also functioning as a quiet record of the local community's history, from the Middle Ages to the present day.

When did burials at this site begin?

The origins of a cemetery in this location date back to around the middle of the 13th century, next to the originally early Gothic Church of St. John the Baptist in Staré Město nad Metují. The church itself was rebuilt twice over the centuries in the Gothic style, and burials took place around it in the manner typical of medieval Bohemian towns. A separate, more prestigious form of burial was reserved for the crypt of the Church of St. Lawrence in the town centre, where members of the nobility, clergy, and the most prominent burghers of Náchod were laid to rest — a practice that reflected social hierarchy even in death.

How did the cemetery grow over time?

For most of its history, the cemetery in Staré Město remained the town's sole and principal municipal burial ground. As Náchod's population grew, the cemetery grounds were expanded several times, including twice during the second half of the 19th century. These expansions mirrored the town's broader development in that period, as Náchod transformed from a small settlement into a growing industrial centre in the Bohemian borderlands.

What is the cemetery's connection to the Battle of Náchod?

The year 1866 marked a dramatic chapter in the town's history with the Battle of Náchod, one of the engagements of the Austro-Prussian War. In its aftermath, a separate military cemetery was established on the edge of town for soldiers who had fallen in combat. Those who later died from their wounds in hospitals, however, were buried in the old municipal cemetery — linking this civilian burial ground directly to the wartime events that shook Náchod in the 19th century.

What can visitors see at the cemetery today?

Today, the Municipal Cemetery of Náchod holds considerable historical and artistic value. It contains a total of 46 notable tombstones, valued either because they mark the graves of important figures from the town's public life, or simply for their artistic merit as works of sepulchral art. Among the sculptors whose work can be found here are Břetislav Benda, Otakar Španiel, and Franta Anýž — artists whose output also enriched other cemeteries and public spaces across Bohemia. Alongside them, a number of other, mostly locally active sculptors and artisans contributed to the cemetery's monuments.

Who is buried at the Náchod cemetery?

Among those interred here are figures significant to the town's and region's history, including industrialist Josef Bartoň and his descendants, secretly consecrated Catholic bishop Josef Blahník, and writer and playwright Vratislav Blažek. Biographies of these and other notable residents of Náchod buried at the cemetery have been documented in local historical publications, reflecting the importance the local community places on preserving the memory of its dead.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is the Municipal Cemetery of Náchod located? On the southwestern edge of the town, in the Staré Město nad Metují district, along Hřbitovní street, near railway line 026.

How does this cemetery differ from Náchod's military cemetery? The military cemetery was established separately in 1866 for soldiers killed in the Battle of Náchod, while the Municipal Cemetery is the older, civilian burial ground, which also received the bodies of hospital victims from that same battle.

What artistic features can be found at the cemetery? It holds 46 valuable tombstones, including works by renowned Czech sculptors Břetislav Benda, Otakar Španiel, and Franta Anýž.

Which notable people are buried here? Among others, industrialist Josef Bartoň, bishop Josef Blahník, and writer Vratislav Blažek.