Cementeries as specific order of the protection of historical monuments

Territorial protection of cemeteries

Abstract

The protection and designation of domestic cemeteries as protected areas became an urgent task in the second half of the 20th century, with the transformation of burial customs. The design of new cemeteries, which deviated from local traditions and adopted a uniform approach, did not favor the preservation of previous burial practices. As a result, most of today’s cemeteries have been designed in recent decades' styles, but across the country, there are also cemeteries that preserve traces of earlier times and deserve enhanced protection.

Cemeteries can be protected under several principles - nature conservation, monument protection, and reverential protection. However, the number of cemeteries officially designated as protected is still very small. More specifically, cemeteries rarely receive comprehensive protection that covers their entire area and preserves every detail; much more often, specific elements of the cemetery (such as gravestones, chapel, tree avenues, etc.) are protected. Territorial protection, beyond safeguarding individual elements, aims to preserve the entire structure, including the landscape composition and visible traces of historical burial customs