Brno Central Cemetery (Ústřední hřbitov města Brna) and Leoš Janáček

Janáček’s final resting place is in the circle of honour

Leoš Janáček fell ill with pneumonia during a summer stay in his hometown of Hukvaldy. He died in the Klein Sanatorium in Ostrava on 12 August 1928, and was buried three days later in Brno. First, his coffin was placed for public viewing in Mahenovo divadlo (the Mahen Theatre), and then a funeral procession set out to the Central Cemetery. His grave, marked as 64, is located in the circle of honour. The headstone, created by artist Eduard Milén, bears verses from Janáček’s Potulný šílenec (The Wandering Madman), a choral composition for male choir. His wife Zdenka and their children Olga and Vladimír are also buried in this cemetery.

The Brno Central Cemetery was established close to Vídeňská Street, according to a design by Alois Prastorfer. It was opened in 1883. It became a public cemetery for all the city’s inhabitants, regardless of religion, social status, nationality, race, or what parish they belonged to.

The architecture of the ceremonial hall from 1927, designed by the architects Bohuslav Fuchs and Josef Polášek, is exceptionally interesting, and it is also remarkable for the high quality of its technical equipment for the time.