Tag Archives: Fabry Family grave

C’est pas vrai? Where is the Fabry family grave?

*This post was updated on 28 February 2025.

I have received some mysterious emails over the years, but none as mysterious as this one, sent November 26th. I have not included the photos that were attached in the message from Mrs. Anna Hrabovska, a Slovak diplomat working at the Slovak Permanent Mission to the UN in Geneva, but, if they are legitimate, it shows that the Fabry family grave has been removed and replaced with two very plain crosses made of wood – I don’t know who those crosses are for, but where are our relatives? Victor and I visited the grave in 2009, and 2013 was the last time I visited (I posted the above photo here in 2013). The grave was in Cimetiere du Petit-Saconnex.

This document for Pavel Fabry, and the document below, confirms that the Fabry grave is in Cimetiere du Petit-Saconnex. There are also 3 documents from the designer of the gravestone, Jacques Colliard.
Screenshot of the cemetery. When you zoom on the 2013 photo I took of the grave, you can see a large and distinct grave behind on the right. To the right of the grave and across the one-lane road, there is a sign post with a number “5”, and you can see a building further to right. I have circled the building and the location of the Fabry family grave.
Zoomed in further, the large and distinctive grave seen in my 2013 photo is circled, and the location of the Fabry grave is circled and marked with an “X”.

I am presenting Anna’s message publicly, to ask for help from friends living in Geneva and in the United Nations – would someone please confirm if the Fabry family grave is missing? How can this even happen?

With good wishes and thanks for detective help! – Tara

………………………………………………………………………………..

Dear Tara, 

My name is Anna, and I am a Slovak diplomat currently serving at the Slovak Permanent Mission to the United Nations in Geneva. I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for the remarkable work you’ve done with the blog about Vladimir Fabry. It’s a beautifully crafted tribute that truly honors his memory and legacy.

As you may know, November 23rd would have marked his 104th birthday. To pay my respects to this brave and inspiring man from Slovakia, I decided to visit his grave and light a candle in his honor. I printed a photo from your blog and went to the cemetery in Petit-Saconnex, only to discover, to my surprise, that the Fabry family grave was no longer there. 

The following day, I contacted the Cemetery Administration for guidance. The representative informed me that Vladimir Fabry, listed as being from New York, is buried at the Saint George Cemetery, section 5. However, despite my efforts to locate the grave today, I was unable to find it. Please see in the attachment current photos from both cemeteries.

Since you are close to the family, may I kindly ask if his remains have been relocated or if there is additional information about the exact location of his grave? I couldn’t find any articles or updates regarding this matter.

Thank you so much for your time and assistance. I deeply appreciate any help you can provide.

With warm regards,
Anna

*Update 27 March 2025:

Today I clicked again on the United Nations link for diplomat Mrs. Anna Hrabovska, but her name is no longer listed with other diplomats at the Slovak Permanent Mission to the U.N.