Ohrožené památky - Kostely, kaple a kapličky – Valenčík Michal (2006)

An extraordinary encyclopedia by Michal Valenčík is hitting the book market, providing a comprehensive overview of damaged church monuments in the Czech Republic, including both Catholic (which are the majority) and monuments from other denominations. The author personally visited thousands of endangered monuments, from churches to small chapels, and this book presents a selection of nearly 1,660 of the most endangered ones over 300 pages. It focuses primarily on the last of the three major phases of mass destruction (the Hussite Wars, Josephine reforms, and the communist era), specifically addressing monuments that have fallen into their current dire state since 1948, while also recalling damaged monuments from 1945 and systematically covering those damaged after 1989. Following a brief introductory overview, the main extensive encyclopedic section arrives, where endangered monuments are listed alphabetically by municipalities within each region and district, allowing for practical use of the book as a basic guide for all those who care about the fate of these monuments. Suggestive color photographs are accompanied by a brief overview informing about the basic facts related to the destruction of each building and its current state...