A memorial to body donors has been unveiled at the Central Cemetery in Brno

A new memorial now stands at the Central Cemetery in Brno. Its significance is marked by the MED MUNI logo and the Latin inscription Mortui vivos docent. The same motto — translated as “The dead teach the living” — can be found in the halls of the Department of Anatomy at the Faculty of Medicine of Masaryk University, which initiated the creation of the memorial. It honors all those who decided to donate their bodies for the education of future doctors and for research purposes. Its unveiling on November 3, during the annual ceremony commemorating body donors, symbolically concluded a six-year-long initiative jointly led by the Department of Anatomy and Spolek mediků (Brno Medical Students’ Association).

“Knowledge of human anatomy is absolutely fundamental for every doctor. Despite technological progress and modern teaching tools, anatomy has been taught in essentially the same way for decades. Only thanks to body donors can students gain direct experience with real human bodies and study their anatomical structures and organ systems,” says Associate Professor Marek Joukal, head of the Department of Anatomy at the Faculty of Medicine of Masaryk University. He was inspired by a similar project at the University of Vienna and soon gained the support of the faculty leadership, students, and other institutions — including the City of Brno.

Through the Brno Cemetery Administration, the city provided the faculty with an abandoned grave site at the Central Cemetery that contained a heritage-protected tomb of the Bašný family. To raise funds for its transformation, Spolek mediků organized a series of charity events over the years — from concerts to art auctions — and also launched a public fundraiser on the Donio platform. “It was gratifying to see how strongly the project resonated across the community — from students to experienced doctors throughout the country. It’s proof of the deep respect for donors and recognition of the importance of anatomy in medical education,” adds Joukal.

Although memorials to body donors are not uncommon around the world, the Brno version — designed as a communal burial vault — is unique. Medical students in Brno now have a place where they can lay a symbolic wreath in tribute to donors, and the ashes of donors will also be interred in the vault. “After their use for educational and research purposes, donated bodies are cremated. If the donor does not wish for their ashes to be returned to relatives — or has none — they are typically scattered at a memorial meadow,” Joukal explains. “However, scattering is too anonymous. Thanks to this memorial in the form of a tomb, donors will now have a clearly identifiable final resting place — a symbol of our respect and gratitude for their noble gift.”