Overview

It is estimated that over a million people are buried here although the actual number of graves is far less. It was originally created for the victims of the 1680 plague and, whilst many well-known people are laid to rest here, perhaps the most famous is Jan Palach the young Czech student who set himself alight in protest at the Soviet occupation in 1969. However, because the grave became the focal point for the dissident movement, the secret police removed his remains in 1973 and, it is thought the actual body lies in his hometown of Vsetaty, although his headstone remains here. There are maps available indicating various plots.