Geografie 2024, 129, 323-355
Possibilities of reconstruction and documentation of the relict border: the example of the Bohemian-Moravian land boundary
, Radim Štampach2, Zbyněk Sviták3, Milan Jeřábek2
1Masaryk University, Faculty of Social Studies, Department of International Relations and European Studies, Brno, Czechia
2Masaryk University, Faculty of Science, Department of Geography, Brno, Czechia
3Masaryk University, Faculty of Arts, Department of Auxiliary Historical Sciences and Archive Studies, Brno, Czechia
Received February 2024
Accepted September 2024
The article opens a discussion on the possibilities of reconstructing, documenting, and protecting relict peaceful borders, i.e., former administrative boundaries without defensive function in the past. Using the example of the Bohemian-Moravian historical land boundary (which, itself or in the form of its tangible relicts, can be seen as a heritage or monument with potential positive cultural, social, and economic benefits) the paper presents the advantages and disadvantages of the sources and methods of boundary reconstruction and boundary marks documentation. If field mapping is to reveal a maximum of preserved boundary marks (boundary stones, especially), the key is to use the most precise available surveying instruments with a thoroughly reconstructed relict boundary to the date of its last legal existence; otherwise, many boundary marks/stones may remain undiscovered, as shown by previous researchers’ documentations. However, the entire boundary reconstruction and mapping processes are very time-consuming, being the main disadvantage.
Funding
The article was written within the research project “Reconstruction of the running of Bohemian-Moravian historical land boundary and mapping of boundary markers for the purpose of their declaration as a cultural monument” (TL03000154) co-financed by the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic in the period 5/2020−4/2023. The authors would like to thank both application guarantors of the project and their representatives – especially Ing. arch. Karel Kuča from the Society for Village and Small Town Renewal, z. s. (application guarantor for the border reconstruction) and Mgr. Pavel Macků, Mgr. Miloslav Záškoda and Roman Staněk from the National Heritage Institute, Telč (application guarantor for the documentation of the border). We would also like to thank the Geodetic Library and its staff for providing or lending us old surveying instructions, as well as the staff of cadastral offices and other experts for providing materials, advice and assistance.
