Strašnice Crematorium (in cs, link=no, Krematorium Strašnice) is the largest

crematory A crematorium or crematory is a venue for the cremation of the dead. Modern crematoria contain at least one cremator (also known as a crematory, retort or cremation chamber), a purpose-built furnace. In some countries a crematorium can also b ...

in Europe in terms of area. President

Václav Havel Václav Havel (; 5 October 193618 December 2011) was a Czech statesman, author, poet, playwright, and former dissident. Havel served as the last president of Czechoslovakia from 1989 until the dissolution of Czechoslovakia in 1992 and then ...

was cremated here. The crematorium was involved in the disposal of those who had been executed by the Nazi and Communist regimes including writer

Vladislav Vančura Vladislav Vančura () (23 June 1891 in Háj ve Slezsku – 1 June 1942 in Prague) was an important Czech writer active in the 20th century, who was murdered by the Nazis. He was also active as a film director, playwright and screenwriter. Early ...

, general Josef Mašín, politician

Milada Horáková Milada Horáková (née Králová, 25 December 1901 – 27 June 1950) was a Czech politician and a member of underground resistance movement during World War II. She was a victim of judicial murder, convicted and executed by the nation's Commu ...

and bishop Gorazd of Prague.

Description

The crematorium was started in 1929 and it opened in 1932 in

Prague Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and List of cities in the Czech Republic, largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 milli ...

Vinohrady Královské Vinohrady (in English literally "Royal Vineyards" german: Königliche Weinberge) is a cadastral district in Prague. It is so named because the area was once covered in vineyards dating from the 14th century. Vinohrady lies in the muni ...

Czechoslovakia , rue, Чеськословеньско, , yi, טשעכאסלאוואקיי, , common_name = Czechoslovakia , life_span = 1918–19391945–1992 , p1 = Austria-Hungary , image_p1 ...

(today the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...

). In terms of area it is the largest crematorium in Europe. The main hall is sixteen metres high and covers an area of 450 square metres. The design brings in the hearses such that the journey into the building is down a gentle slope of three degrees. The ceremonial hall can accommodate 200 people but it has a large glass viewing area so that additional mourners can be accommodated outside. Music can either be recorded or the hall can also use its own organ.Krematoria hlavního města Prahy ve Strašnicích a Motole
sdeleni.idnes.cz, retrieved 12 November 2013

Totalitarian regimes

During both the Nazi and communist era the crematorium was involved in the disposal of bodies resulting from executions and judicial killings. 2,200 decapitated people were said to have been cremated by the "night shift" during the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

. The bodies included

, General Josef Mašín and the martyr Bishop Gorazd. After the war in 1948 the disposals started again with the remaining ashes destined to be added to compost. However some urns were kept although relatives were denied access to them. The crematorium was involved in the disposal of the body of

whose death was internationally condemned.Post Bellum – František Suchý
/ref>Riskoval život, tajně zapisoval jména obětí nacistů. Teď o tom promluvil
/ref> The son of the crematorium's manager witnessed the disposal of bodies and this led to him joining the anti-communist resistance. He was sentenced to 25 years in jail in 1952.

More recently

The crematorium has been listed as a cultural monument of the Czech Republic since 1988. Former President

was cremated here before his ashes were placed in the family vault in

Vinohrady Cemetery Vinohrady Cemetery ( cs, Vinohradský hřbitov) is a large cemetery in Vinohrady in Prague 10 which contains Strašnice Crematorium. It is the second largest cemetery in Prague and is registered in the state list of cultural monuments. The remain ...

nearby. As part of the

European Heritage Days European Heritage Days (EHD) is a joint action of the Council of Europe and the European Commission involving all 50 signatory states of the European Cultural Convention under the motto, ''Europe: a common heritage''. The annual programme offers o ...

initiative this building was opened to the public in September 2012.Praha 10 spouští QRpedii. Památky označkuje QR kódy
Lucas Vaclavik, September 2012, CNews.cz, retrieved 16 November 2013

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Strasnice Crematorium Buildings and structures in Prague Prague 10 Crematoria in the Czech Republic