Pohřebiště Barabů

Pohřebiště Barabů (the Burial Ground of the Barabové) is a small, moving memorial site in Železná Ruda, in the Šumava mountains of the Czech Republic. It marks the resting place of foreign laborers who died while building the railway tunnel beneath the Špičák peak — a quiet forest cemetery that recalls the human cost behind one of Austria-Hungary's major engineering achievements.

Where is the burial ground located?

The site sits right beside the railway tracks between Železná Ruda and the Špičák station, about 100 meters behind the Chapel of St. Anthony and St. Barbara, built between 1836 and 1839. A red-marked hiking trail leads directly to it, and the area is open to visitors year-round with no restricted hours. It's a well-known stop along the walking route connecting Železná Ruda and Špičák, popular with hikers and cyclists alike.

Who were the "barabové"?

"Barabové" was a folk term for the seasonal laborers who flocked to Austria-Hungary in the 19th century to build its expanding railway network. Hundreds of them came to the Šumava region — from Italy, Dalmatia, Bosnia, Croatia, and Tyrol — drawn by wages considered quite good for the era. The work itself was grueling and dangerous: tunneling was carried out with explosives, and workers faced constant risk of cave-ins and serious injury.

Why did the workers need a separate cemetery?

The tunnel under Špičák was built between 1874 and 1877 as part of the railway line running from Plzeň through Železná Ruda into Bavaria, a route later used to carry coal into Germany. At 1,747 meters, it was the longest railway tunnel in the entire Austro-Hungarian monarchy at the time of its completion. The construction cost several dozen workers their lives. Because many of them did not belong to the local Catholic faith, they could not be buried in the town's parish cemetery — so a separate burial ground was established for the deceased barabové in the forest, near the chapel from which their funeral processions departed.

What can visitors see today?

The cemetery holds roughly twenty graves, though the names of the workers buried there have not survived — their identities were lost over time. A simple wooden cross near the railway tracks now marks the spot. In 2002, thanks to the efforts of a local association in Železná Ruda, the unnamed workers were given a dignified memorial and the site was properly restored and maintained. There are no grand headstones or inscriptions, but the forest setting and the nearby tracks, still used by passing trains, leave a strong impression on visitors.

What was the social backdrop of the tunnel's construction?

The arrival of hundreds of foreign laborers in a small mountain town was not always smooth. The barabové frequently lodged with local families, which sometimes created tension within the community — particularly when Italian workers won the affection of local women. Despite this friction, their labor permanently changed the Šumava region, opening a direct rail link to Bavaria and helping spur tourism and trade around Železná Ruda in the decades that followed.

Frequently asked questions

Who were the "barabové"? They were seasonal laborers who built railway lines across 19th-century Austria-Hungary; those working near Šumava came mainly from Italy, Dalmatia, Bosnia, Croatia, and Tyrol.

Why weren't the deceased workers buried in the regular town cemetery? Many of them were not Catholic, so they could not be laid to rest in the local parish cemetery — a separate burial ground was created for them instead.

How many people are buried at Pohřebiště Barabů? The cemetery contains around twenty graves, though the identities of the workers resting there remain unknown.

How do you get to the burial ground? It lies along the red-marked hiking trail between Železná Ruda and Špičák, about 100 meters behind the Chapel of St. Anthony and St. Barbara, and is accessible year-round.

What is the history behind this site? The cemetery dates back to the construction of the Špičák railway tunnel between 1874 and 1877, during which several dozen workers died digging the 1,747-meter tunnel.