St. John of Nepomuk

[1. ENG. > 2. ITA.]

1. ENG.
John of Nepomuk, canonised by the Church in 1729, in the popular consciusness replaced Saints Christopher, Nicholas and Zeno as protector from the dangers posed by water and traveling, especially in the areas of Central Europe under Hapsburg rule. Venerated in as far back as the 17th century, after his canonisation his following grew significantly. This was furthered also by the dissemination in the late 17th century of books that told the story of his life and the miracles allegedly due to his intercession. In Trentino too, in the course of a century tormented by many floods, murals and wooden and stone statues were to protect houses, as well as churches and votive chapels dedicated to him in particular.              .

2. ITA.
Giovanni Nepomuceno, dichiarato santo dalla chiesa nel 1729, sostituì nella coscienza popolare specie nei territori dell’Europa centrale soggetti al controllo degli Asburgo il ruolo di protettore dai pericoli delle acque e dei viaggi che in precedenza era stato svolto dai santi Cristoforo, Nicola e Zeno. Venerato già dalla fine del Seicento dopo la sua canonizzazione e grazie alla diffusione di libri che raccontavano sia la sua vita che i miracoli che si ritenevano dovuti alla sua intercessione crebbe di molto la devozione nei suoi confronti. Anche in Trentino nel corso di un secolo tormentato da molti eventi alluvionali vennero fatti realizzare dipinti murali e statue in legno a protezioni di abitazioni, oltre che chiese, cappelle votive a lui particolarmente dedicate e belle statue lapidee.

The unknown story of the statue of St.John of Nepomuk reveals the Canonical Visitation of the Veľká Divina Parishfrom September 1, 1828 in which we read: “There is also a stone statue ofSt. John of Nepomuk in the parish territory that was placed at the entrance tothe Divina village near the stream flowing next to the road in 1796. It wasmade at the expense of Count John Suňog. After a fatal great flood in 1822,which had disintegrated the whole community from its foundations, the statuewas washed away. Later, it was found headless. Thanks to the goodwill of theCount Stephen Čáky, the present-day patron of the church, the statue wasrepaired and placed before the parish on a brick pillar.” St. John of Nepomukdied a martyr’s death. His tortured body was tied up and drowned in the Vltava River.It happened to him again in Divina 429 years later. A great flood washed awaythe statue of St. of Nepomuk, and it ended up even worse than when he wastortured on the order of the king – lost his head. Fortunately, the statue wasfound and repaired. During the centuries, it was several times painted andrestored. The restorers found a clearly visible scratch around the neck – aclear sign that the head was newly made, although by a less skillful craftsmanthan the original one. It was maybe a folk craftsman who did not have such anartistic feeling as the unknown Baroque stonemason who worked for the Count Suňog.Although I realize that St. John of Nepomuk is one of the most depicted saintsin the area of the former Habsburg monarchy and almost every village preserveda certain form of remembrance (most often a statue), I think that our Nepomukis a bit extraordinary. He fulfills his legacy even 624 years since his martyrdom– as a patron of bridges and communication. He has proven, also at the present,to be able to connect even nations of different faiths and cultures. He isreally a living proof of that. The project of the statue’s restoration wasrealized under the auspices of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germanyin Slovakia and it was honoured by its co–sponsoring and supporting from HisMajesty Norodom Sihamoni, the current King of Cambodia and His Majesty SimeonII, the last Bulgarian tsar, acting as a Prime Minister of the BulgarianGovernment in 2001–2005. In addition to the Žilina Diocese, the donors of therestoration of the statue were also His Royal Highness Franz, Duke of Bavaria,the Head of the House of Wittelsbach, the former ruling family of the Kingdomof Bavaria, the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem (OrdoEquestris Sancti Sepulcri Hierosolymitani – OESSH), the Knights ofthe Cross with the Red Star – the only order of Czech origin (Ordo militarisCrucigerorum cum rubea stella in pede pontis Pragensis – O. Cr., O.Crucig) and the Metropolitan Chapter of St. Vitus in Prague that owns thesaint’s tomb. Other partners who contributed to the restoration of the statueof St. John of Nepomuk include the city of Nepomuk – his birthplace, as well asvillages belonging and/or used to belong to the large parish of Veľká Divina:Svedernik, Divina and Divinka–Lalinok. The project was significantly supportedby Kysuce Museum in Čadca, Servare et Manere, civic association, the Kia MotorsSlovakia Foundation, HPR kámen, Ltd., RBR ing, Ltd., Urbarium Lúky, UrbariumLalinok, Association of Forests in Lalinok and Urbarium Divina, MPO – Metal,s.r.o. This book, in addition to the biography of St. John of Nepomuk, alsoapproaches similar monuments in the vicinity of Divina. It is not acomprehensive scientific and historical study of St. John of Nepomuk but thanksto its content it will help to understand how the heritage of the medievalmartyr, whose more or less ordinary statue was able to cross the boundaries ofone village in the northwest of Slovakia, can be fulfilled in the present. Thebook is supplemented with the coats of arms created by a prominent Czech heraldZdirad J. K. Čech. In conclusion, I would like to quote one historical factfrom the Canonical Visitation of the Veľka Divina Parish from 1828: „Thestatue of St. John of Nepomuk was not blessed after the repair and it remainsso up to now.“ I am proud that after more than 190 years it was finallydone! The Statue was blessed by Mons. Tomas Galis, the diocesan bishop of Žilinaand revealed by Joachim Bleicker, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germanyin Slovakia in June 2, 2017. The entire project could be realized mainly due toall patrons, supporters and craftsmen who deserve sincere and cordialgratitude.

Der heilige Johannes Nepomuk (* ca. 1345 – †1393) gilt als der Schutzpatron der Brucken. Und – selbst einer Brucke gleich – verbindet auch er; verbindet die Erinnerung an ihn Menschen in vielen Landern o Mitteleuropas. Vor allem in den alten habsburgischen Landen wurde – und wird – der Heilige Nepomuk von vielen Menschen zutiefst verehrt. Zu seinem Festtag am 16. Mai stromten sie dereinst in Scharen aus allen Winkeln der alten Monarchie und von noch weiter hernach Prag, um dort seiner zu gedenken. Statuen des Heiligen Nepomuk sind an vielen Orten errichtet worden. Viele Brucken tragen seinen Namen: Uber dem Rhein, uber der Isar, uber der Donau und – naturlich! – uber der Moldau: In der Goldenen Stadt wacht sein Standbild seit uber drei Jahrhunderten auf der Karlsbrucke. In jener Stadt, wo der Heilige den Tod fand: gefoltert erst, und dann von einer Brucke ins Wasser gestosen. Warum? Weil er geschwiegen hat. Weil er keinen Verrat uben wollte – keinen Verrat an denen, die ihn als Priester ins Vertrauen gezogen hatten. Weil er lieber sein Leben opferte, als das Kirchenrecht zu brechen. Und sei der, der dies von ihm verlangte, auch der Konig des Landes. So berichtet es jedenfalls die Legende – und so blieb er in Erinnerung: Als Martyrer, der auch vor der machtigsten weltlichen Autoritat sich Hoherem verpflichtet fuhlte. Ein Denkmal dieses Mutes, ein Zeugnis der Verbundenheit: Es ist es wert, erhalten zu werden!

Das Gnadenbild St. Johann Nepomuk, ehemals im Besitz der Ledvinker von Adlersfels, das seit Ende des zweiten Weltkrieges als verschollen galt, befindet sich im Museum der Hauptstadt Prag. Es scheint, dass das hochwertige barocke Gemälde zwischen 1783 und 1790 in die heutige Gestalt gebracht wurde und als wahre Gestalt des Heiligen ausgegeben wurde. Nähere Informationen könnte eine restauratorische Untersuchung bringen.

In the permanent exhibition of The Museum of Medimurje Cakovec there have been identified baroque wooden sculptures of St. John of Nepomuk and two angels as the elements of the monument which had been standing in front of the Old Town of Cakovec. According to the picture of the Old Town, painted around 1840, the sculpture of the saint was placed on a tall wooden pediment, while the two angels were attached to its base. The monument was completely made of wood - the sculpture was
covered with roof which was standing on four wooden columns.
In the beginning of this century the sculpture was removed from its original position and placed in a niche of the fire-house. During the 2. World War the building was destroyed so the sculpture was removed.

Czech martyr St. John of Nepomuk is the patron of the bridges and his sculptures are always placed in front of a bridge or beside a river or a stream. In Cakovec that is also the case - close to the original location, in front of The Old Town, there were two trenches filled with water. The second location of the sculpture (The fire-house) is also connected
with water: the bridge over the stream Trnava was placed besides the building.
These three baroque sculptures are product of an unknown sub-alpine workshop from the first half of the XVIII. century. Today they are
presented separately at the exhibition, so these new facts should be taken in the consideration for a new joint presentation.

The article deals with the hitherto unknown initiative of the emperor Charles VI to complete the gothic St. Vitus Cathedral in Prague (1728). In the end, the emperor changed his opinion in favour of silver mausoleum for the newly canonized St. John of Nepomuk.

Nach Aufzeichnungen des Kronikenschreibers des Prager Klosters der barfüssigen Karmelitaner ist die Ausschmückung des Prager St.-Veits-Doms zum 50. Jahrestag der heilgsprechung von Johannes Nepomuk 1779 ein Werk von Josef Hager (1726-1780), der den architektonischen Teil malte, und von Jan (?) Hofmann, der die Figuren ergänzte.

A documented review of the efforts made in Trentino from the Middle Ages until the nineteenth century to defend the mountain area and the valley floor by the force of the waters of the Adige river and its tributaries rushing reconstructed on the basis of the work of "clever men" and on the basis of widespread presence of artworks with protective and apotropaic against disastrous floods.

Un documentato esame degli sforzi operati in Trentino dal medioevo fino all'Ottocento per difendere il territorio montano e di fondovalle dall'impeto delle acque del fiume Adige e dei suoi impetuosi affluenti ricostruito sulla base dell'operato di "uomini ingegnosi" e sulla base della diffusa presenza di opere d'arte con funzione protettiva e apotropaica nei confronti delle disastrose alluvioni.

Abt Vejmluvas Entscheidung eine Bruderschaft Sankt Johannes von Nepomuk und gleichfalls eine elitäre Konföderation unter demselben Titel auf dem Grünen Berg bei Kloster Saar einzurichten, vielleicht eine vergleichbare Bedeutung und Wert hat, die wir bis heute der einzigartigen Santinischen Architektur des Wallfahrtsortes und Stiftes geben und sie atemlos bewundern. In der Wirkungsdauer des Abtes Vejmluva und noch später waren es eben die beide Fraternitäten, die dem Wallfahrtsort und dem Stift den außerordentlichen Zulauf der Gläubigen und nicht unwesentlichen Einkünfte gewährleisteten.