Myths about the Church of St. John of Nepomuk in Vrchní Orlice: (Dis)continuity of a Place without Inheritors

Abstract

The article investigates the contemporary narratives surrounding the Church of St. John of Nepomuk in Vrchní Orlice (Hohen Erlitz), a site marked by displacement, destruction, fragile local memory, and precarious identity since the end of World War II. Drawing primarily on interviews conducted between 2022 and 2024, this qualitative study focuses on the “myths” that emerged, often incidentally but repeatedly, during explorations of the site’s atmosphere, memory, and potential new functions for the church. The concept of “myth” is employed to capture the processes of balancing personal and collective experiences, addressing gaps in memory, and negotiating identities and belonging. Following the participants’ reflections and a comparison of the field data with the existing literature, we propose the concepts of liminality, haunted landscapes, and adopted heritage as key tools for interpretation.