Body donors memorial
Body donors memorial – a symbol of lasting respect and gratitude
Every year, hundreds of students of general medicine, dentistry, and non-medical fields study anatomy at the Department of Anatomy of Masaryk University's Faculty of Medicine. During their studies, they learn about the structure and organization of the organ systems of the human body, which would not be possible without the noble decision of voluntary donors who agree that after their death, their bodies will be used for teaching and research purposes. Hundreds more doctors deepen their knowledge in courses and seminars organized by the Department of Anatomy.
Since 2018, the Department of Anatomy of the Faculty of Medicine at Masaryk University, in cooperation with the Spolek mediků (Medical Students' Association), has been organizing a memorial service for body donors. At that time, the idea was born to build a memorial as a final resting place for those whose remains have become a source of knowledge about the human body for many generations of doctors and healthcare professionals. The initiative was successfully implemented in 2025, and a memorial to body donors now stands in the Central Cemetery in Brno – a dignified symbol of gratitude and a reminder of the most precious gift.
The memorial was created with the support of the City of Brno and the Brno Central Cemetery. The Faculty of Medicine at Masaryk University and hundreds of donors contributed financially to its construction through charity events and public collections. Many others were involved on a completely voluntary basis. If you would like to contribute to its maintenance, you can do so by sending any amount to the transparent account of the Spolek mediků (Medical Students' Association).
“Anatomy is the gateway for students on their path to becoming not only good doctors, but also humble human beings. The memorial is our way of saying thank you and paying tribute to those who have donated or will donate the most precious thing they have — their bodies — so that we can become skilled surgeons, orthopedists, neurologists, dentists, or even physical therapists.”
Tadeáš Novotný
Student, General Medicine
“In the past, the cremated remains of donors were scattered on the cemetery lawn, which was too anonymous. Thanks to the memorial, a dignified final resting place has been created where family and friends can come to honor their loved ones, remember them, or light a candle.”
doc. MUDr. Marek Joukal, Ph.D.
Head of the Department of Anatomy
“I´ve been arranging donor agreements with body donors for years, during which time I have met hundreds of them. Many confide in me about their life stories and motivations. Whether their decision to help science is based on purely altruistic motives or whether economic considerations play a role, building a memorial is the least we can do to thank them.”
Dana Procházková
Secretary of the Department of Anatomy and secretary of the Body Donation Program
“The creation of a memorial is important not only as an expression of respect, but also as a reminder that even after death, body donors can provide an educational platform for students, thereby contributing to saving the lives of those whom these students will later treat as doctors. For our students, it is also a place to reflect on their gratitude towards donors and the transience of human existence.”
prof. MUDr. Martin Repko, Ph.D.
Dean
“Building a memorial to body donors is a wonderful idea, as these donors decided to give themselves to future generations of doctors, healthcare professionals, and nurses. Every such act of true profound humanity deserves to be honored, and I am convinced that this memorial is a fitting reminder of that.”
prof. MUDr. Martin Bareš, Ph.D.
Rector
What else might interest you...
Where is the memorial located?
The memorial is located in Brno Central Cemetery, on the site of the original Bašný family tomb (group 61, row 1, grave numbers 128–130). Its location can be found on the Brno Cemeteries map portal.
Who designed the memorial and how did it come about?
The memorial was created by transforming the abandoned tomb of the Bašný family, which Masaryk University's Faculty of Medicine acquired through a symbolic transfer from the Brno Cemetery Administration. The author of the project is Ing. arch. Petr Keith (atelier.dwg), and the restoration of the tombstone was carried out by MgA. Radka Levínská.
What is the history of the original burial site?
The original tomb was built in 1924 by Jan Bašný Jr. for his daughter Aloisie, who died prematurely of tuberculosis. In the 1920s, the Bašný family was one of the most famous sausage makers in Brno, while later generations of the family made their mark in the world of sports, specifically handball. The tomb was designed by sculptor Jan Laušman, a student of the School of Applied Arts in Prague, whose studio and stone carving workshop became the most prosperous business of its kind in Brno after World War I. His style, based on Romanticism and Neoclassicism, was quite conservative, but it reflected the tastes of the wealthier residents of Brno in the first third of the 20th century. There are a number of tombstones from his workshop in the Central Cemetery in Brno. The Bašný family tombstone was declared a national cultural monument in 1958, and its transformation into a memorial to body donors was carried out under the supervision of the National Heritage Institute.
Whose remains are in the grave?
The grave contains the cremated remains of body donors that were not claimed by their relatives. In such cases, the Department of Anatomy of the Faculty of Medicine at Masaryk University is obliged to bury them. It was for this purpose that the memorial to body donors was created. The list of those buried is maintained by the Brno Cemetery Administration in accordance with the law on funerals.
Who takes care of the memorial? Can I contribute to its maintenance?
The memorial is maintained by the Department of Anatomy of Masaryk University's Faculty of Medicine in cooperation with the Spolek mediků (Medical Students' Association) and the Brno Cemetery Administration. Maintenance of the memorial, including floral decorations, costs thousands of crowns per year. If you would like to contribute to this cause, you can do so by sending any amount to the transparent account of the Medical Students' Association.
Where can I learn more about body donation?
The body donation program is run by the Department of Anatomy of Masaryk University's Faculty of Medicine. Basic information can be found on the institute's website, with more detailed information available in the media outputs section of this website.
News...
Timeline
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2018/11
First memorial service for Body Donors
The Department of Anatomy of the Faculty of Medicine at Masaryk University and Spolek mediků organized the first memorial service for body donors. The event was initiated by Marek Joukal, who became familiar with the tradition during an internship in the USA.
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2019/09
New Head of the Department of Anatomy
Marek Joukal becomes the new head of the Department of Anatomy of the Faculty of Medicine at Masaryk University.
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2020/11
Memorial goes virtual
Due to restrictions related to the coronavirus pandemic, the memorial service for organ donors is being held in a small setting and also in the form of a virtual concert.
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2021/01
Initiative launched to build memorial to Body Donors
Inspired by the initiative of the University of Vienna, Marek Joukal, together with Spolek mediků, officially presents an initiative to build a memorial to body donors. A public collection is launched to finance it. During the first two months, approximately 100,000 crowns are collected.
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2021/12
Art Auction
An auction of artworks created as part of the daMEDici public competition was held, and a calendar was also produced. The proceeds from the auction will support the financing of the memorial.
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2023/05
Charity Concert I
Spolek mediků organized the first of a series of charity concerts, the proceeds of which will support the construction of the memorial.
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2023/10
Body Donation on TV
The Czech Television public affairs program 168 Hodin aired a feature on the importance of body donation. The feature was seen by more than two million people.
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2023/11
Memorial ceremony in the New Ceremonial Hall
The memorial ceremony for body donors took place for the sixth time, for the first time in the newly renovated ceremonial hall of the Central Cemetery in Brno.
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2024/05
Charity Concert II
Spolek mediků organized the first of a series of charity concerts, the proceeds of which will support the construction of the memorial.
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2024/06
Donio collection
After eight months, the fundraising campaign for the construction of a memorial to body donors on the Donio platform has been closed. It raised almost 150,000 Czech crowns.
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2025/04
Construction begins
Construction of the memorial has begun – builders have started work on the underground section of the tomb, while restorers have begun work on the tombstone.
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2025/09
Construction ends
The memorial is build and has been handed over to the faculty administration.
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2025/11
Grand unveiling
The memorial to body donors is ceremoniously unveiled on the day of the eighth memorial service for body donors.
Memorial and body donation in the media
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The Unveiling
The ceremonial unveiling of the memorial to organ donors in November 2025 was attended by a number of media outlets. Česká televize, Český rozhlas, Novinky, iDnes, MF Dnes, Právo, Blesk, Aha!, Impuls, Metro, Týden, Brněnská drbna, Info TV Brno or Stisk all reported on this exceptional event.
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TÉMA
In June 2025, the monthly magazine Téma published an interview with Marek Joukal, head of the Department of Anatomy at Masaryk University's Faculty of Medicine: "Anatomy captivated me in my first year. It was the first discipline where we really encountered the essence of medicine – the human body and how it works. There was something mysterious about it. For me, it was an amazing experience, thanks to which I decided to pursue a career as an anatomist."
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100+1 - Zázraky medicíny
Interview with Marek Joukal, Head of the Department of Anatomy of the Faculty of Medicine at Masaryk University, in the monthly magazine 100+1 - Zázraky medicíny from February 2025: "We have two practical anatomy exams that every student must take. We have various specimens for the exam. (...) We process the body over a period of about two to two and a half years. Within three years, we are then able to return the ashes to the family."
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168 hodin
In November 2023, Czech Television aired a report entitled Donate Body on its current affairs program 168 Hodin. In addition to faculty representatives, the report also featured two donors talking about their motivation for donating their bodies. The report was seen by more than two million people on television and social media.
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Apetýt ČRo Brno
Marek Joukal, head of the Department of Anatomy at Masaryk University's Faculty of Medicine, spoke about body preparation and the donor program in January 2025 with Zdeněk Truhlář on the Apetýt program on Český rozhlas Brno radio.
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Novinky
The media also covered the topic of building a memorial to body donors at the beginning of 2024. Information about the initiative was published, for example, by Novinky, TV Brno 1, Brněnská drbna, Brno Today, Právo, Brňan, Noviny Kraje, Zprávy z Moravy, and information about the ongoing fundraising campaign on Donio also appeared in the January issue of the Czech Medical Chamber's magazine Tempus medicorum.
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MF Dnes
Body donors will have a memorial. Every deceased person has a story, wrote MF Dnes when launching a collection for the construction of the memorial. "We are also thinking of the bereaved, who sometimes find it difficult to come to terms with the fact that they cannot bury their loved ones according to customary practices. They will now have a place of remembrance in the cemetery where they can visit their relatives and remember them," says Marek Joukal in an interview.
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Stetoskop
Back in March 2021, we also discussed anatomy and the topic of body donation in the Masaryk University Faculty of Medicine podcast Stetoskop, in an episode entitled Dar nejcennější.