The
name Smitir comes from the Latin word coemeterium, meaning cemetery. The
deceased were buried around the church from the Middle Ages until burials
within settlements were banned by the early Austrian administration. From 1818
until World War One, the cemetery was located in front of the town on the site
of the former Benedictine monastery and the Church of St. Nicholas. After that,
it was moved to a new location away from the town.