protestant cemetery in Nové Město na Moravě

The Protestant cemetery in Nové Město na Moravě is a modest but historically significant burial ground on the eastern outskirts of the town, along the road leading toward Bystřice nad Pernštejnem. It was founded between 1856 and 1858 during the tenure of pastor Josef Mareš, when a neoclassical entrance gate was also built — a structure that still marks the site today. The cemetery was later enlarged, most notably in 1948 under pastor Václav Kejř.

Why a separate Protestant cemetery?

Nové Město na Moravě and the surrounding Vysočina region have long-standing ties to the Czech Reformation tradition, and the local congregation of the Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren (ČCE) is among the more established communities in the area. Separate burial grounds for Protestants were the norm across the Austro-Hungarian monarchy until legal reforms in the second half of the 19th century allowed for more flexibility, which explains why a dedicated cemetery was established here rather than shared burial space with the town's Catholic population.

Who is buried here?

The cemetery holds the graves of several figures important to both local and national Protestant history:

• Vincenc Makovský, a National Artist and sculptor, regarded as one of the most significant figures in 20th-century Czech art.
• ThDr. Josef Křenek, a former synodal senior of the Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren — one of the church's highest-ranking clergy nationwide.
• Several local pastors who shaped the parish over the decades: Josef Mareš (1804–1881, serving 1838–1875), Josef Dobeš (1852–1930, serving 1878–1929), and Vincenc Vašíř (1875–1949, serving 1899–1947).

The concentration of clergy buried in this relatively small cemetery reflects how central the local Evangelical parish was to the region across nearly two centuries.

What to look for

The cemetery's main architectural feature is its mid-19th-century neoclassical gate — simple in form, but characteristic of Protestant cemetery design of the period, which generally avoided the ornamentation common in many Catholic burial grounds. The gravestones themselves tend to be modest and restrained, in keeping with the Evangelical tradition's understated approach to memorial design.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is the cemetery located? It lies outside the built-up center of Nové Město na Moravě, along the road toward Bystřice nad Pernštejnem (coordinates: 49.5605628, 16.0827036).

Is the cemetery still in use? The cemetery was expanded as recently as 1948, suggesting continuous use by the local Evangelical community across generations.

Why visit while in Nové Město na Moravě? The site connects local history with the broader story of Czech Protestantism, bringing together local clergy and nationally recognized figures such as sculptor Vincenc Makovský. For visitors interested in the sacred architecture of the Vysočina region and the history of the Reformation in Moravia, it makes for a quiet, worthwhile stop alongside the rest of the town.

Is it linked to another landmark in town? Yes — the cemetery is closely tied to the local congregation of the Evangelical Church of Czech Brethren and the nearby Evangelical church, together forming a lasting record of Protestant presence in Nové Město na Moravě.