Who Owns the Past? Symbolic Authority and Heritage Revitalization in Czech Borderlands

The present article examines how cultural heritage revitalisation processes unfold in the Czech Republic's border regions. It investigates how these processes mirror power struggles and symbolic conflicts over the past. It employs a "memory nodes" approach, which conceptualises the restored objects—such as chapels, churches, and technical monuments—as dynamic centres of memory that function as physical repositories and symbols of cultural identity. In these border regions, marked by historical ruptures following the expulsion of the German-speaking population after World War II, restoring abandoned heritage sites becomes a critical arena for negotiating collective memory. The study highlights how the renewal of these sites is not merely a matter of physical reconstruction but also a deliberate act of cultural reinterpretation, wherein various stakeholders assert their visions of the past. By situating these revitalisation efforts within the broader context of socio-political and historical transformations, the article demonstrates that restored monuments serve as catalysts for preserving historical authenticity and integrating modern narratives. Ultimately, this dual approach underscores the complexity of heritage restoration as an endeavour that reconfigures the past into a living framework, inviting ongoing debates about identity, power, and the ownership of cultural memory.