Old Cemetery on Pęksowym Brzyzku in Zakopane

Zakopane is a city with a rich history , with which its fate was tied many famous Poles , above all artists, painters, sculptors, composers and writers . To this day we can admire many memorabilia left behind , including numerous architectural monuments , houses where they once lived, such as. Willa pod Jedlami , or a museum dedicated to the memory of Karol Szymanowski in the Villa Atma , or a historic wooden Church in Harenda .

Many of these people of merit in the development of Zakopane was also left in it after his death , they were buried at the site established in the second half of the 19th century Cemetery on Pęksowy Brzyzku , a historic Zakopane necropolis, where you can see more than 500 graves, often being small works of art maintained in highland style.

Where is the old Cemetery on Pęksowy Brzyzek in Zakopane?

We already know that the history of this the oldest cemetery in Zakopane began in the second half of the 19th century, and was founded by the Around 1851, the first parish priest of Zakopane, Father Joseph Stolarczyk . The cemetery's distinctive name comes from names of land donors , on which it is located, Jan Pęksa , and the second part of the name, i.e. "Brzyzek" in the highland dialect means The cliff above the creek.

The cemetery is located in Zakopane on Koscieliska Street , from which it is separated by a high stone wall providing a discretion for visitors to the necropolis . In 1931 it was entered in the register of monuments and given the name Cemetery of Merit, which is still in effect today . The cemetery was partially destroyed during World War II, but after the war it was restored and we can admire the Restored graves of people of merit to Zakopane.

What will we see at the Cemetery of Merit at Pęksowy Brzyzek?

While in the capital of the Polish Tatra Mountains, it is worth finding a moment to take a stroll through the quiet alleys of the old cemetery and see how Zakopane remembers people of merit to the city , and take the opportunity to visit the nearby cemetery The oldest wooden church in Zakopane . This is the historic Temple of St. Our Lady of Czestochowa and St. Clement, built in 1847-1852 , with a wooden altarpiece made by a local artist, is a must-see for Małopolska tourist excursions Wooden Architecture Route.

What famous people are buried in the Old Cemetery in Zakopane?

It is worth seeing not only this historic old church, but also the necropolis itself, and on the The Cemetery of Merit on Pęksowy Brzyzek has about 500 graves , including as many as 250 people of merit in the history of the city . The cemetery is accessed by a single avenue along which graves have been placed, many being even unique works of art made of metal or stone, or crafted in wood.

They are decorated Podhale motifs , there are on them highland crosses and paintings on glass , and many of the tombstones are from studios Wladyslaw Hasiora . Among the most famous people who rest in this cemetery, it is worth mentioning the symbolic grave of Witkacy, or Stanisław Witkiewicz, Kornel Makuszyński, Władysław Orkan, there is also a symbolic grave of General Mariusz Zaruski, who died in the USSR in 1941.

Dr. Tytus Chałubiński, Karol Stryjeński, or Jan Krzeptowski Sabała, a well-known musician, are buried a little farther away, and the cemetery also features commemorative plaques dedicated to Polish composers associated with Zakopane, including Karol Szymanowski. Also worth seeing graves of polish athletes , Stanislaw Marusarz and Helena Marusarzówna, also found a place of eternal rest Jan Dlugosz, Antoni Kenar, Himalayan mountaineer Maciej Berbeka, and a little further away is buried Antoni Rząsa and here rest the ashes of Kazimierz Przerwy-Tetmajer, a famous poet.