The Pardubice crematorium will be a national cultural monument from July

Pardubice - The status of a national cultural monument gives the crematorium in Pardubice a better chance of receiving state funding. It will officially hold this title starting July 1. Josef Kubát, the chairman of the board of directors of the Services of the City of Pardubice, said this today during the ceremony. The building was designed by architect Pavel Janák, and the first cremation took place in 1923.
    "If the crematorium is a national cultural monument, it gives us a chance to demand a little more money. The general renovation cost us 20 million crowns, and we received only 2.5 million crowns from the state. We are facing the reconstruction of the ovens, which will cost ten million," said Kubát.
    Janák designed the crematorium in the so-called rondocubist style, also known as arcaded decorative style. The architect was inspired, among other things, by folk architecture. The interior decoration is the work of František Kysela. The crematorium is accompanied by a building designated for storing urns, designed by architect Karel Řepa.
    "I was immensely pleased that the building has reached such a high status. It is recognition for Janák and Kysela. I have a personal connection to the crematorium; behind it is a columbarium designed by my father. I frequented this place often when there were no ceremonies," said architect Miroslav Řepa to ČTK.
    Last year, the owner of the monument, Services of the City of Pardubice, completed costly repairs costing 20 million crowns. These lasted five years and concluded with work on the new facade of the building. The interiors of the crematorium, on the other hand, are often without plaster due to humidity.
    "We removed the plaster so the walls could breathe. The tour route around the old ovens now has a better atmosphere because of this. We will always struggle a bit with humidity here. But the building is well constructed. The general renovation of the ovens is scheduled for next year, but that does not concern the building itself," said Pavel Ježek, head of the funeral services and crematorium division at Services of the City of Pardubice.
    The municipal council decided on the construction of the crematorium in 1919. It began to be built two years later. It became a real cultural monument in 1958. The technological facilities were moved to new premises in 1995. And three years later, the crematorium became the property of the Services of the City of Pardubice. The crematorium performs approximately 3,500 cremations annually.
    The environment of the crematorium was the filming location for the famous film by Juraj Herz, The Cremator (1968). In 2006, three screenings of this black-and-white film took place there as part of the Febiofest festival.