A segment from the funeral of poet Adolf Heyduk begins with archival footage of the town of Písek, where Heyduk lived and worked for more than 20 years until his death on 6 February 1923. The genre images depict the Otava River, the Wenceslaus suburb, the Great Square, Charles Street, the bustle at the riverside Military Swimming Pool, Aleš Square with a credit union building, the dean´s church at Bakaláře, and the remains of the town walls by the Putim Gate. Adolf Heyduk walks with friends by the Schrenek Pavillion in Palacký Park. A portrait of Adolf Heyduk painted by Jan Skalický. The first part of the final farewell takes place in Písek on 8 February 1923. The funeral procession sets out from the town hall on Great Square towards the railway station, from where the remains of the late poet will be transported to Prague. This is followed by images from the funeral ceremony held in Prague on 10 February. The funeral procession moves across Wenceslaus Square towards Heyduk´s final resting place in Vyšehrad Cemetery.
Segment captures the funeral of poet Antonín Sova held in Prague on 20 August 1928. The flag of mourning is raised above the National Museum. The coffin with the deceased is carried out of the Pantheon of the National Museum. The funeral procession makes its way along Vinohrady Street towards Jiří z Poděbrad Square, where the procession ends.
The segment captures the funeral of politician and Chairman of the Agrarian Party Antonín Švehla held on his farm in Hostivař on 15 December 1933. The coffin with the body of the deceased is loaded onto a horse-drawn hearse. The mourners include President Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk, Senator František Soukup, former Prime Minister František Udržal and Deputy of the National Assembly Rudolf Beran. The memorial event opens with a speech by Prime Minister Jan Malypetr (silent). The funeral procession exits the farm and heads to the Hostivař Cemetery. Mayor of the Czechoslovak Sokol Society Stanislav Bukovský and Senator František Soukup deliver speeches over Švehla´s grave (silent).
Segment of the Československý zvukový týdeník Aktualita (Czechoslovak Aktualita Sound Newsreel) 1938 No. 18 captures the funeral of politician, former Minister of National Defence and Prime Minister František Udržal held in his native village of Dolní Roveň u Pardubic on 28 April 1938. Images of the mournfully decorated family house. The funeral ceremony opens with speeches by Prime Minister Milan Hodža and Deputy of the National Assembly Rudolf Beran. The mourners include Chairman of the Chamber of Deputies Jan Malypetr, Generals Jan Syrový and Ludvík Krejčí, entrepreneur Jan Antonín Baťa and Senator František Soukup. The coffin with the deceased, draped in the national flag, is carried onto a horse-drawn hearse. The funeral procession makes its way through the streets of the village to the local cemetery. A cushion with Udražal´s honours is carried behind the hearse. In addition to his relatives and state officials, the procession includes generals of the Czechoslovak Army, military attaches, Czechoslovak soldiers, church dignitaries and Sokols. Despite the inclement weather, the streets are lined with crowds of onlookers. At the cemetery, the coffin is lowered into a grave. A plane flies past the church tower. The segment closes with an image of Udržal´s family tomb.
The segment captures the funeral of Senator of the National Assembly Gustav Habrman held in Pilsen on 26 March 1932. The funeral procession comes out of the Peklo Workers´ House and sets out along Jungmannova Street, past the building of the Pilsen Electricity Company. The camera focuses on Kramář Park and the crowds of onlookers in the streets. The procession continues through the streets of the city, across Wilson Bridge and towards the crematorium in Doubravka.
The segment captures the funeral of Minister of Social Welfare Josef Gruber held in Prague on 7 May 1925. The flag of mourning is raised above the National Museum. The coffin with the late minister is carried out of the Pantheon of the National Museum. The funeral procession is led by university and church dignitaries. The procession continues across Wenceslaus Square to Charles Square, passing the building of the General Teaching Hospital on Vyšehradská Street. The segment ends with an image of Vyšehrad Cemetery and funeral wreaths by the cemetery arcades.
Special issue of the Československý zvukový týdeník (Czechoslovak Sound Newsreel) No. 39 from 1937 captures the final farewell with the first Czechoslovak President T. G. Masaryk held in Prague on 21 September 1937. Shot of the mournfully decorated castle courtyard with the coffin draped in the national flag. President E. Beneš delivers a speech over the coffin (original sound). The grand funeral procession makes its way through Prague to Wilson Railway Station. It is led by the Inspector General of the Czechoslovak Armed Forces, General Jan Syrový, on horseback. The late president´s son Jan Masaryk, grandsons Leonard and Herbert Revilliod, E. Beneš and representatives of the Czechoslovak government walk behind the coffin. The funeral procession stops in front of the Wilson Railway Station. This is followed by a parade of troops in front of the coffin, attended by the family, diplomats, French Prime Minister Léon Blum and others. The coffin is then carried through the station building and loaded onto the platform of a special train dispatched to Lány. The train departs, mourners are along the track. The coffin is interred at the local cemetery in Lány.
A segment produced by the Excelsiorfilm-Praha company captures the funeral of Eduard Vojan, an actor of the National Theatre, which took place in Prague on 3 June 1920. The camera captures crowds of mourners on National Street. The funeral procession with Eduard Vojan´s coffin sets off from the National Theatre towards the Vinohrady Cemetery. The route is lined by a dense crowd of onlookers.
Segment from the weekly Deglův žurnál (Degl´s Journal) 1928 No. 43 captures the ruins of the Jakesch department store on the corner of Biskupská and Na Poříčí Streets in Prague. The almost finished building collapsed on 9 October 1928. Forty-six workers and casual passers-by were buried under the rubble.The funeral of the victims was held in Prague on 16 October. It was attended by almost 100,000 people. The commemoration was opened with a speech by the Mayor of the City of Prague, Karel Baxa (silent). The camera follows the funeral procession through Prague. The segment concludes with footage of the debris of the building being cleared.
Unedited film footage shot in the streets of Pardubice after an allied air raid on 22 July 1944. People are clearing the debris of buildings. Rescued pieces of furniture and other furnishings are loaded onto trucks. Two men carry a child´s coffin towards a hearse. A mass commemorative ceremony for the victims of the air raid is held on Pernštýn Square on 25 July. The bereaved gather by the displayed coffins at the site of the commemoration. Local official Adolf Želízko delivers a funeral speech.