Brno is preparing a competition for the form of Kundera's tombstone; the remains will be interred after its creation

photo: https://www.mzk.cz/

Brno - The form of the tombstone for writer Milan Kundera will arise from an artistic competition, which the Brno city council approved at its last meeting. The city expects to announce the competition at the beginning of next year. The winning design could be created around the turn of 2025 and 2026. The remains of the Kundera couple will be buried at the Central Cemetery only after the tombstone is completed, said Tadeáš Mima from the press department of the magistrate today to ČTK. Brno-born Kundera died last year in Paris, and his wife this September.

"The planned competition is meant to yield the most suitable artistic representation of the tombstone dedicated to writer Milan Kundera. The winning design will complete burial site number 15 in the honor circle of the Central Cemetery, where the remains of Milan Kundera and his wife Věra Kundrová will be laid to rest," said mayor Markéta Vaňková (ODS).

It is expected that the open one-phase competition will start in January and that proposals can be submitted until April. The exact dates will be specified based on how quickly the evaluation committee is formed and when it first meets to discuss the competition conditions.

Kundera died last July in Paris, and his widow followed on September 14 of this year. Her death has affected the planned competition. "Originally, a two-phase competition was considered, which would allow Mrs. Kundrová to influence the selection of proposals. She formulated her idea of the conceptual form of the tombstone," added Mima.

During Kundrová's lifetime, the writer's remains were to remain in Paris. Now it can be expected that the Kunders will be buried together in the cemetery in Brno. In the creation of new tombstones for honorary graves, the procedure is such that urns are placed in the grave only after the tombstone is completed.

Kundera was one of the most significant Czech writers of the 20th century, having spent the second half of his life in France after emigrating in 1975 and began writing his books in French. He entered literary life shortly after the communist coup in 1948. The writer wished to be buried in his hometown, where he spent his youth up until graduating in 1948. He had a deep affection for Brno throughout his life; through his donation, the Milan Kundera Library was established as part of the Moravian Library. This includes not only books, reception, and criticism of his work but also part of a documentary archive, including correspondence.