New cemetery in Havlíčkův Brod

The New Cemetery in Havlíčkův Brod is the town's principal burial ground, laid out at the beginning of the 20th century on what was then open land beyond the built-up area, along the road leading toward Prague. It remains the main municipal cemetery serving Havlíčkův Brod and its surroundings today.

When was the cemetery established?

The local district committee decided to establish a new burial ground around 1910. This step reflected a broader pattern seen across many Czech towns at the time: older cemeteries within town centers were running out of space and no longer met rising hygienic standards, prompting municipalities to lay out larger new cemeteries away from dense settlement. In Havlíčkův Brod, the chosen plots lay along the Prague road, at the time almost a kilometer from the town's last buildings. The first burials on the new grounds took place in 1915–1916, although the founding process itself began several years earlier.

Who designed the layout?

Before construction began, an architectural competition brief for the new cemetery was drawn up in 1909. It was prepared by Prokop Frič, a provincial engineer and architect involved in regional spatial planning at the time. The competition was meant to produce a coherent design for the whole site, covering everything from the layout of the paths to the arrangement of burial sections.

How is the cemetery grounds organized?

The site forms a rectangular plot and was originally divided into two distinct sections. The eastern part, closer to the access road, held the municipal cemetery, intended for the residents of Havlíčkův Brod (then known as Německý Brod). The western part, closer to the surrounding fields, was smaller and served as the burial ground of the regional institution for the mentally ill that operated in the town. This division reflected the era's common practice of separating burials linked to care institutions from those of ordinary town residents.

Why is this place worth a visit?

The New Cemetery in Havlíčkův Brod is more than a burial site — it is a record of early 20th-century urban and spatial planning in the Vysočina region. Walking its paths offers a glimpse into how the town grew and how attitudes toward funerary space evolved, moving from modest inner-town cemeteries toward larger, deliberately planned grounds on the outskirts. For visitors interested in local history and sepulchral architecture, it makes for an interesting stop while exploring Havlíčkův Brod.

Frequently asked questions

When was the New Cemetery in Havlíčkův Brod founded? The decision to build it was made around 1910, with the first burials taking place in 1915–1916.

Where exactly is the cemetery located? It lies along the former road to Prague, outside the town's historic center.

Who designed the layout of the grounds? The architectural competition brief was prepared in 1909 by engineer and architect Prokop Frič.

Did the cemetery always have a single, unified character? No — it originally consisted of two parts: a municipal cemetery and a smaller burial ground belonging to the regional institution for the mentally ill.

Is the cemetery still in use? Yes, it continues to serve as the main municipal cemetery of Havlíčkův Brod.