Dušan Váňa is a sculptor whose design for a memorial site at Brno Central Cemetery came out of an art competition and was chosen by the city of Brno. The brief of the competition was an original but dignified artistic way of commemorating the people buried in the mass grave [1][2]. The archaeological survey at Brno Central Cemetery was initiated in 2021 by the association Paměť, because historical testimony suggested that the remains of victims of the communist regime had been secretly deposited there. [2]
Design of the memorial plaque
Váňa's design envisages a plaque measuring 150 × 150 cm made of Corten steel. A number of crosses corresponding to the 1107 people in the mass grave is cut out of the square plaque as a negative, and a central stainless steel cross rises above the surface [1][2]. Deputy mayor of Brno Filip Chvátal said that the design fulfils the brief of the competition and will offer visitors a space for contemplation and for reflecting on the fates of those buried [2]. According to the city authorities, the plaque is to stand in cemetery group 109 at grave plot number 1 [1].
Experts from the Moravské zemské muzeum and archaeologists from Masaryk University uncovered 1107 urns during the survey, and 605 of them were identified. [2]
The plaque should be installed by the end of 2026. [2]