Sad Dr. Milady Horákové Cemetery

Welcome to the set of Dr. Milady Horace. You are standing in a place that at first sight acts as a quiet, green oasis in the middle of the busy urban development of Moravian Ostrava. Feel this atmosphere of silence and discretion surrounding you here. You may feel a slight breeze in the treetops or hear only the distant noise of the city, but know that deep and uneasy history hides under your footsteps. This place, which today serves to relax, walk and seek inner peace, had a completely different character in the past and a completely different purpose. Every metre of this land you're walking on now is interwoven with memories of an era that shaped the identity of the entire region.

Let's go back deep into the past together until 1875. At that time the park was not opened, but a place was created that was absolutely necessary for the growing city. It was a time of huge expansion when Moravská Ostrava turned into an industrial centre that was constantly attracting new citizens. With this growth, however, there was also the need to have a dignified and organised place to rest those who had already left. So the town cemetery was established, which became the main burial ground of the city. Imagine the atmosphere at that time - a city that was built out of smoke, iron and work, needed this space as its spiritual and quiet centre. The cemetery served here for decades and witnessed many fates that took place during the period of the greatest industrial rise.

Now pay attention to one particular thing that was about the very nature of this place. If you could look beneath the surface of the earth, you would find that the history of this cemetery was not only about human fate, but also about fighting nature. In the early twentieth century, it became clear that land in this part of the city was not ideal for funeral purposes. It was precisely because of the impropriety of land that the then authorities and administrators had to introduce very specific and strict rules. The dates for the restoration of burial sites had to be significantly extended. While it was initially envisaged that the site could be reused after 10 years, due to the complexity of the ground, this time had to be extended up to 30 years. This must have had a major impact on the former families and on the entire administration of the cemetery and required constant care and planning to maintain the dignity of this place despite technical obstacles.

If you look around now, you may lack some monumental structures that you would expect in such a place. But there is a historical reason for that. In 1925, there was a construction that was a real architectural treasure and a symbol of the then modernization. It was a crematorium designed by one of the most important architects of his time, Vlastislav Hofmann. Even though the crematorium doesn't exist anymore, try to draw it in your imagination. Hofmann was the master of the cubist style. If you now imagine sharp lines, geometric accuracy and dynamic shapes that are typical of this style, you will understand better how advanced the architecture in Moravia Ostrava was. This crematorium was not just a functional building, but a work of art that strongly resonated in space. Unfortunately, in the 1970s, this space was modified under major changes and the crematorium was demolished. These decisions were motivated by the then ideological and hygienic reasons which led to the gradual abolition of the cemetery.

However, this process of transformation was very important for today's shape of the place. From the cemetery, which was the place of mourning and parting, space for life and movement gradually became a place for life. In the 1970s, space began to change into a park, which meant that the history of the cemetery began to intersect with a new, green identity. This transformation was completed when the company was preparing for major changes. And it was these changes that brought about 1989. After the Velvet Revolution, there was an important symbolic gesture - the park was renamed after the famous Czech politician and prisoner, Dr. Milada Horáková. It is a very strong contrast that the place that was once associated with closure and death bears the name of a woman who has become a symbol of the struggle for freedom, human dignity and political integrity.

In this context, you can think about how much our perception of space changes. Milada Horáková was a character that had to face enormous pressures, like the pressures of time, ideologies and technical constraints on soil. When you are walking through trees now, you must remember that you are standing in a place where various epochs collide - from the industrial boom of 1875, to the architectural genius of Hofmann's cubism, to the modern era of free movement in the city park.

Now I'll leave you with your own thoughts. Walk on, feel the calm of this park and try to find in its shadow the traces of the events that once took place here. Each journey through this orchard is actually a small way of the history of Moravian Ostrava. Thank you for spending this moment with us and for choosing to explore this space not only with your eyes but also with your heart. I wish you a pleasant and inspiring walk.