The ashes of renowned author Milan Kundera and his wife Vera were laid to rest on Thursday in the honourable section of the central cemetery in Kundera’s hometown, Brno, Czech Republic, according to the city’s municipality.
The burial ceremony was attended by family members, close friends, French embassy staff, and representatives from Brno, where Kundera held honorary citizenship.
Kundera, famous for his celebrated novel 'The Unbearable Lightness of Being,' passed away in Paris on 11 July 2023 at the age of 94.
Following his death, Vera kept the urn containing his ashes in their home until her own passing in September 2024.
In January 2025, French publisher Antoine Gallimard transported the ashes of both Milan and Vera Kundera to Brno, fulfilling the author’s wish to rest in his birthplace.
The urns were placed beneath a simple white slab designed by Austrian architect Johannes Paar, which appears to hover above the grave.
Paar’s design was chosen from 39 submissions in a competition held in 2025, aligned with the Kundera couple’s request for a modest and understated grave.
Milan Kundera became a French citizen in 1981 after fleeing communist Czechoslovakia with his wife in 1975.
His literary works, infused with satire and reflections on the human condition, were shaped by his personal experiences, including being stripped of his Czech citizenship for political dissent.
