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Paper short abstract:

Each element of ICH carries various social functions. When the community has to face non-standard situations, these may be reconfigured. The paper will focus on the meanings and functions of selected ICH elements under extraordinary circumstances.

Paper long abstract:

Each element of intangible cultural heritage carries various social functions through which the expectations and needs of the community, or its particular segments, are normally met. Socio-organizational, representational, initiation, integrative and other functions are among them. When a community suddenly finds itself in an extraordinary situation caused by various (usually external) factors, these social functions may be reconfigured – either for a short or a longer period of time. The paper will focus on two different cases of intangible cultural heritage in non-standard situations linked by a common integrative function. In the first case, the community united to keep one of their treasured ICH elements in the highly unfavourable Covid-19 pandemic situation. Another case will present an element originally practiced by Deutschböhmen, Deutschmährer und Deutschschlesier – the German-speaking inhabitants of the Czech borderland – and adopted by the new inhabitants after the exchange of population. The authors will illustrate how active sharing of ICH can contribute to the sense of belonging to a community despite unfavourable external circumstances. They will explore the search for new forms of organization or transformation of the “content” in order to better serve actual situation and needs of the communities. They will also discuss how ICH elements contribute to strengthening integrity of the societies studied, as well as their potential to weaken or eliminate former ethnic conflicts in a long-time perspective.