Eternal Kundera: Brno unveils the revered author’s final resting place
The ashes of Czech author Milan Kundera and his wife Věra will be buried in the “Circle of Honour” at Brno’s Central Cemetery. On Wednesday, the city council revealed the levitating tombstone design, which should be ready by the end of July 2026.
The appearance of the grave was the subject of an international design competition. Out of 41 submissions, two proposals, both from Austrian studios, made the final shortlist. The Brno city council ultimately leaned towards the plan of designer Johannes Paar.
The blueprint was revealed to the public on Wednesday. Alena Hesová, Czech Radio reporter in Brno, describes the look of the tombstone:
“We can imagine the tombstone as a large, flat gravestone in the shape of a slanted rectangle. It will be wider at the top and narrower at the bottom. Made of white concrete, the upper edges will be sharp and straight, while the lower ones are meant to appear irregular. It will give the impression of floating in the air, as the underside of the slab looks like it is separated from the ground. In the center of the stone, Milan Kundera’s name will be inscribed with his birth and death dates beneath it. Below that, will be the same information for his wife Věra,” she says.
The light, levitating appearance, contrasting with the heavy material of the tombstone, evokes connotations with the title of one of Kundera’s most famous novels: ‘The Unbearable Lightness of Being’. The plain, non-ornate design can also be seen as a nod to Milan Kundera’s writing style – analytical, and straightforward.
Brno mayor Markéta Vaňková (Spolu) says that this design also corresponded best to the wishes of the famous pair:
“Choosing the final design for the grave was quite difficult, but the city council ultimately chose the tombstone that, among other things, respects the Kunderas’ wish for simplicity and modesty,” she says.
Shortly after the writer’s death in July 2023, Věra Kunderová approached the Brno city council about the possibility of her husband being buried in the “Circle of Honour” at Brno’s Central Cemetery, before passing away herself in September 2024. By that time, the sole remaining spot along the cemetery’s central, circular path had already been secured.
Other notable names in the “Circle of Honour” include composer Leoš Janáček, or politician Josef Hybeš. Elsewhere at Brno’s Central Cemetery are also the graves of Josef Dobrovský, one of the leaders of the Czech National Revival movement, and Gregor Mendel, the founder of modern genetics and another a Brno-native.
Milan Kundera was born in the Moravian capital on April 1st, 1929. At the age of 18, in 1947, he joined the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia, but soon grew disillusioned leading to his expulsion just 3 years later. This became one of the main inspirations for his 1967 novel ‘The Joke’, in which he ridiculed the party.
In 1975, Kundera went into exile in France and had his Czechoslovak citizenship revoked by the Communist regime in 1979. He consequently took up French citizenship in 1981, and wrote most of his later works, particularly in the 1990s, in French.
In January this year, the urns containing the remains of both Kundera and his wife were moved back to Brno, as per the pair’s last wishes. They have been stored at the Moravian Library in Brno, and will remain there until being moved to the newly constructed grave in July 2026.
