Prague – The people who gathered today at the cemetery in Ďáblice as part of the open day of Prague cemeteries and funeral services tried digging a grave under the guidance of gravedigger Adam Vokáč. Fifteen mostly young gravedigger workshop participants were able to refresh themselves with drinks and snacks, which the organizers served them from an open coffin, while excavating an abandoned grave. According to one of those present, the event resembled a scene from the movie Addams Family.
The days of open doors of Prague cemeteries and funeral services from Friday to Sunday offer, for example, excursions to the Skranica crematorium, a night tour of the Olšan cemeteries with a visit to several tombs, or the panel exhibition Transformations of Prague Funerals.
“The huge interest in the open day events far exceeded our expectations. Fifteen places for the gravedigger workshop were booked within a few minutes,” said Kateřina Pavlitová, communications manager of the organizing organization Hřbitovy hřební služby hl. of the City of Prague (HPS).
For the first time, the public can take a look behind the scenes of Prague cemeteries and funeral services with a comprehensive program. Open door days under the slogan “Death is just beginning with us” are organized by HPS for the first time.
“For some, the idea of a gravedigger workshop may sound morbid or absurd. However, when we tentatively asked on social networks what program would interest our audience, after the night tour of Olšan, the greatest interest was in it,” said Petr Zeman, head of the conceptual and development department of HPS . “After all, the gravedigger profession is no longer the domain of the desperate or people from the fringes of society, as everyone can see for themselves,” he added.
The exhibition on Mariánské náměstí until October 31st reveals to visitors the behind-the-scenes of Prague funerals and the history and present of Prague cemeteries on twenty panels. Visitors can read interesting facts about the history of burials in the metropolis, view modern cremation ovens or the legendary funeral tram. Visitors can also expect a panel explaining the issue of military cemeteries, modern architectural solutions for funeral buildings, as well as a panel dedicated to sustainable trends in burials. Through large-format photographs, visitors can see the faces of gravediggers, hearse drivers and the stoker in the crematorium.
“By organizing open days and an exhibition on Mariánské náměstí, we want to show the people of Prague how broad the scope of our organization is and what we actually do for the city,” said Richard Čejchan, deputy for funeral services of HPS. The complete program of open days is published on website HPS.
The history of urban funerals in the capital city of Prague began to be written during the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy. The deed of concession was issued to the municipality of Prague on November 8, 1911, and since that day the citizens of Prague have had the municipal funeral service at their disposal. As of January 1, 2020, during the organizational change of the Prague municipal funeral service, the funeral home of City of Prague and Administration of Prague Cemeteries. All services thus came under the administrative management of the Cemetery and Funeral Service of the capital. city of Prague, which provides complete funeral services including transport and repatriation, operation of crematoriums in Strašnice and Motola.
It is usually stated that there are 67 to 71 functional cemeteries in Prague. the city of Prague manages 33 of them, the remaining cemeteries fall under the administration of city districts and church organizations. Olšanské hřbitovy is the largest Prague burial ground, with an area of almost 50 hectares and the number of grave sites, of which there are 90,000. Approximately 12,000 people die in Prague every year, 96 to 98 percent of them are buried by heatstroke.
CR cemetery services Prague PHOTO
Source: www.ceskenoviny.cz
