Salm Cemetery

The Salm Cemetery is a small but strikingly picturesque family burial ground located in the village of Sloup in the Moravian Karst region, within the Blansko district of the Czech Republic. Tucked into the southeastern section of the local municipal cemetery, it has served for generations as the resting place of the aristocratic Salm-Reifferscheidt-Raitz family, owners of the nearby Rájec nad Svitavou castle and founders of the Blansko ironworks.

How did the family come to be tied to Sloup?

The connection dates back to 1763, when the Rájec estate passed into the hands of the Salm-Reifferscheidt-Raitz family. The man responsible was Count Antonín Josef František of the Salm-Reifferscheidt-Raitz line (1720–1769), founder of the Moravian Rájec branch of the family. He acquired the estate through his marriage to Countess Rafaela of Rogendorf (1726–1807), and partly by buying out shares from her sisters. From that point on, the family's fortunes remained tied to the region for centuries, with Sloup becoming the place where successive generations were laid to rest.

What sets this cemetery apart?

The Salm family plot is separated from the rest of the Sloup cemetery by an artistically crafted cast-iron fence, itself a fine example of the ironwork tradition rooted in a region built on iron production. Above the graves rise cast-iron crosses of varied and elaborate design, worked with considerable artistic care — it is these crosses, together with the fence, that led to the site being protected as a cultural monument. Two mature lime trees growing within the plot add a further distinctive touch to its quiet, enclosed atmosphere.

Is it still an active family burial site?

Yes — the cemetery remains in use by members of the Salm-Reifferscheidt-Raitz family to this day. In recent years, news outlets have reported on burials of further family members in the private section of the Sloup cemetery, confirming that the family's connection to the site has continued uninterrupted since the eighteenth century.

Frequently asked questions

Where exactly is the Salm Cemetery located? In the southeastern part of the cemetery in the village of Sloup, in the Blansko district of Moravia, Czech Republic.

Who were the Salm-Reifferscheidt-Raitz family? An aristocratic family that held the Rájec nad Svitavou estate from 1763 onward and played a founding role in the development of the Blansko ironworks.

What makes this cemetery a protected monument? Its artistically crafted cast-iron fence and the varied cast-iron crosses above the graves, along with two characteristic lime trees growing on the site.

Can visitors see the cemetery on their own? It sits within the publicly accessible municipal cemetery in Sloup, though the family plot itself is fenced off as a separate, protected area.