Crematorium Pardubice / Pardubické krematorium (East Bohemia) - Art Deco - Art Nouveau on Waymarking.com

Higly decorative building of Crematorium Pardubice (Pardubické krematorium), designed by architect Pavel Janák and build in 1921-1923, is a fine example of Rondo-Cubist architecture. The monumental size of the building reminds man of his mortality, his subtle existence. The crematorium's construction was supported by the Czech Association of friends of cremation. The crematorium in Pardubice is sometimes called the House of Light or the Temple of Death.

The first crematorium built in the country from a distance resembles thanks to unusal design and decoration a gingerbread house. The invitation to tender for the building of a crematorium appeared after year 1919, when cremation was legally allowed by a new Czechoslovak law called "Lex Kvapil" (historically, during the Austro-Hungarian Empire were burned only criminals and alleged witches).

The crematorium was built by construction company of Karel Kohout and Jaroslav Krupar. The architect, Pavel Janák, prepared his project in every detail, including the interior, where on the decorations participated also painter Frantisek Kysela. The first cremation took place on September 29, 1923. Famous movie "The Cremator" by Juraj Hetz, where the exteriors and some interiors of the crematorium played an important role, was filmed here in 1968.