Old Cemetery in Mladá Boleslav

The Old Cemetery in Mladá Boleslav (Czech: Starý hřbitov) sits on Laurinova Street, right in the center of the city, only a few hundred meters from the former Laurin & Klement works, the historic root of today's Škoda Auto factory. For more than a century, it served as the town's main burial ground and still holds the graves of several people who shaped the city's history.

How to get there?

The cemetery lies within the built-up part of the city center, so it's an easy walk of just a few minutes from the old town square. The route runs past the area once occupied by the early automobile works, giving a sense of how closely the cemetery is tied to the industrial history of Mladá Boleslav. The site is generally open to visitors, though access can occasionally be limited during conservation work.

Where did this cemetery come from?

The cemetery was established between 1874 and 1877 as a new municipal burial ground, intended to replace the older cemetery around the Baroque Church of St. Havel, which had become too small as the town grew. The church itself kept its ceremonial role even after the new cemetery opened nearby. Within just a decade, the original rectangular layout also proved too small, and the grounds were extended toward what is now Laurinova Street. A section of the old boundary wall still survives today, marking the line between the two building phases — and it's along this wall that the most prominent family tombs are concentrated.

What is there to see?

At the center of the cemetery stands a Neo-Romanesque chapel, built as the main ceremonial building of the grounds. A separate, striking structure is the Neo-Byzantine tomb built for the Bičík family, which was later converted into a chapel open for general use. Along the surrounding walls run rows of 19th- and 20th-century family tombs and gravestones, giving a strong sense of the wealth and standing of Mladá Boleslav's bourgeois families during that era.

Who is buried here?

The Old Cemetery holds the graves of several figures important to the city's and the region's history. Among them are Václav Laurin (1865–1930) and Václav Klement (1868–1938), co-founders of the Laurin & Klement automobile company, the direct predecessor of today's Škoda Auto, one of Central Europe's most significant carmakers. Also buried here is František Bareš (1851–1924), a historian and longtime curator of the town museum, along with archaeologists and historians Karel Sellner (1873–1955) and Rudolf Turek (1910–1991), both known for their research into the region's past.

Is the cemetery still in use?

Over time, the role of the town's main burial ground passed to the New Municipal Cemetery, located farther north near Václav Klement Street. The Old Cemetery is therefore no longer the primary burial site in Mladá Boleslav, but the grounds have not been abandoned — they are maintained as a place of historical memory, even though the site is now surrounded by the city's modern built-up area.

Frequently asked questions

When was the Old Cemetery in Mladá Boleslav founded? It was built between 1874 and 1877 as a new municipal cemetery, replacing the earlier burial ground around the Church of St. Havel.

Who is buried at the Old Cemetery? Notable graves include Václav Laurin and Václav Klement, founders of the Laurin & Klement automobile company that became Škoda Auto, as well as historian František Bareš and archaeologists Karel Sellner and Rudolf Turek.

Is there a chapel on the grounds? Yes — a Neo-Romanesque chapel stands at the center of the cemetery, and a separate Neo-Byzantine tomb built for the Bičík family was later adapted into a chapel as well.

Is the Old Cemetery still Mladá Boleslav's main burial site? No — that role has been taken over by the New Municipal Cemetery, located further north near Václav Klement Street.