Prague 8 has acquired a lunatic asylum cemetery. They will repair the chapel and the wall

Prague - Prague 8 has gained the management of the so-called cemetery of the insane in Bohnice from the state after three years of negotiations. The town hall will repair the perimeter wall and the chapel. Burials will not be resumed here. CTK was informed by the spokesperson of Prague 8, Marcela Konrádová. The area will not be freely accessible, but the town hall will organize guided tours here. The cemetery originally belonged to the Bohnice Psychiatric Hospital, and deceased mentally ill people were buried here. It was subsequently managed by the Office for Managing the State Property.

"It is necessary to stabilize the perimeter walls and the chapel. We plan to preserve the ivy growth, which gives the place a mysterious atmosphere. However, it will be necessary to remove the small invasive vegetation," said councilor and chair of the environmental committee Vít Céza (ČSSD).

The space will continue to serve as a cemetery, but new burials will no longer take place here. "We do not count on the resumption of the burial site due to its character," said deputy mayor Radomír Nepil (ANO). The reason is also that specific places where the deceased are buried are not known, according to previous statements from the town hall.

According to the website of the Bohnice Psychiatric Hospital, the cemetery was consecrated on September 12, 1909, and the first person buried there was eleven-year-old František Janovský. Burials ceased in 1951. The cemetery covers an area of about 2.5 hectares.