The First Burial Ground near the Church of All Saints
From its earliest days, the newly founded settlement had to address practical matters. Since death neither chooses nor waits, the need for burials soon arose. The first burial ground was established beside the kostel Všech svatých, specifically on its south-eastern side. Today no graves remain visible there, although they can still be seen in photographs from the first quarter of the twentieth century.
Relocation of the Cemetery and Renaissance Decoration
At the initiative of the preacher Kryštof Ering, formerly an altar assistant in Annaberg and appointed town preacher in 1529, the cemetery was moved in 1530 to the other side of the road to Pfaffengrün, between the church and the right bank of the stream. A section of the perimeter wall with a gate dates from this period and has been protected as a cultural monument since 10 September 1992.
In 1544, a sculptural group of Calvary by the Dresden sculptor Christoph Walther was installed near the gate. It was probably originally placed in a small chapel later replaced by a Baroque niche chapel. Today the sculpture can be seen inside the kostel Všech svatých.
Re-Catholicisation and Destruction of Graves
Like the town itself, the cemetery experienced dramatic upheavals. After re-Catholicisation, the original Lutheran tombstones were destroyed, and in 1627 the cemetery became exclusively Catholic. The grave of the preacher Johann Mathesius was destroyed; according to tradition, his remains were thrown into Mlýnské Valley. Other sources state that he was buried in the kostel sv. Jáchyma, but his grave there met the same fate.
Another wave of destruction followed after 1945 with the expulsion of the German population. Only a small number of historic graves have survived, including those of prominent figures of the town, and most are in poor condition.
Protestant and Children’s Section
Ironically, the section established at the turn of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries as a Protestant and children’s cemetery is in the worst condition. The retaining wall holding the slope above the cemetery and the wall facing Lidická Street have partially collapsed. The original mourning avenue leading from the entrance gate to the main cross is also in poor condition, and several trees have already fallen.
Falling trees and collapsing walls have damaged numerous graves. At the same time, it was discovered that part of the wall had been constructed using old tombstones.
Symbolic Grave of Political Prisoners
In this newer yet devastated section lies the symbolic grave of political prisoners from communist labour camps. A mass grave was once assumed to exist, but investigations by the Institute for the Documentation and Investigation of the Crimes of Communism, in cooperation with the Military History Institute and the Police of the Czech Republic, disproved this claim. Individual burials were identified, but their exact location was not determined.
Grave of the Victims of the Second World War
Among the most significant sites today is the grave of the Victims of the Second World War. Like the cemetery itself, this grave has undergone several changes and is described in a separate article.
The Cemetery Today
The older part of the cemetery, the original burial ground covering 1,767 square metres, continues to serve Jáchymov to this day. Despite the marks left by past conflicts and neglect, it remains an important witness to the town’s history and the final resting place of many generations.
