Slavín (Prague)

Slavín

Slavín is a tomb at the Vyšehrad Cemetery in Prague. Many notable Czech personalities are interred in the tomb.

History

The idea of the establishment of the pantheon, a final resting place for outstanding Czech personalities, appeared in the 1880s. The initiators were Vyšehrad provost and Mikuláš Karlach and Mayor of Smíchov Petr Matěj Fischer, who also helped to finance the monument.

The monumental tomb was designed by architect Antonín Wiehl. Slavín was built in the years 1889–1893 on the eastern side of the Vyšehrad Cemetery. The sculptural decorations were made by Josef Mauder (1854–1920). Poet Julius Zeyer was the first person to be buried in the tomb, in 1901, eight years after its completion. The tomb contains 44 burial tombs, mostly with coffins, though some urns are stored as well. The remains of 55 people are currently interred in Slavín.

Notable interments

Poets and writers

Julius Zeyer, Josef Václav Sládek, Jaroslav Vrchlický, Růžena Svobodová, Jan Klecanda, Jaroslav Hilbert, Antonín Klášterský, František Xaver Svoboda, Josef Hora, Karel Toman, Marie Pujmanová, Josef Štefan Kubín

Actors

Otýlie Beníšková, Zdeněk Štěpánek, Vítězslav Vejražka, Eduard Kohout, Ladislav Boháč, Jaroslav Marvan

Painters

Vojtěch Hynais, Alfons Mucha, Václav Špála, Antonín Pelc, Antonín Strnadel

Sculptors

Josef Václav Myslbek, Jan Štursa, Bohumil Kafka, Ladislav Šaloun, Jan Lauda

Opera singers

Ema Destinnová, Otakar Mařák, Vilém Zítek, Richard Kubla, Kamila Ungrová, Václav Bednář

Pianists

Jan Heřman, František Maxián

Violinists

Jan Kubelík, Jaroslav Kocian, Karel Hoffmann

Architects

Kamil Hilbert, Josef Gočár, Karel Honzík, Jaroslav Fragner

Inventor

František Křižík

Conductors and composers

Rafael Kubelík, Oskar Nedbal

Film directors

Ferdinand Pujman, Vojta Novák

Historian

Václav Vladivoj Tomek

Archaeologist

Josef Ladislav Píč

Philologists

Josef Král, Oldřich Hujer

Literary historian

Jan Václav Novák

Economist

Josef Gruber

Theatre critic and historian

Karel Engelmüller

References

50°3′52.6″N 14°25′7.6″E / 50.064611°N 14.418778°E / 50.064611; 14.418778