The idea for its establishment came as early as 1922, and the aim was primarily to control the placing of memorial plaques in the Tatras at the place of death of mountaineers. The opening did not take place until 11 August 1940, and commemorative plaques from all over the Tatras were transferred to the symbolic cemetery. Later, 60 painted wooden crosses were also placed there, made by sculptors from the village of Detva. The cemetery bore the motto: "For the dead as a reminder, for the living as a warning".
Today, the Tatra cemetery has around 300 plaques dedicated to more than 400 people. Among them are Klemens Bachleda, Mieczysław Karłowicz, Wiesław Stanisławski, the rescuers of the Tatra Voluntary Rescue Service Janusz Kubica and Stanisław Mateja Torbiarz, and the pilots of the "Sokół": Bogusław Arendarczyk and Janusz Rybicki, who died in a plane crash in the Olczyska Valley. There are also plaques dedicated to people associated with the Tatra Mountains: Jerzy Kukuczka, Piotr Morawski or Wanda Rutkiewicz. The National Park Commission decides on the placement of new plaques.
The cemetery is located on the western slopes of Osterva in the Slovak High Tatras. It is located south-east of Popradské Pleso, at the exit of the Zlomiská Valley. A yellow trail leads to it from the chalet above Popradské Pleso, open from 16 June to 31 October.
