# Saint Ursula Church > church building in Czech Republic **Wikidata**: [Q108506169](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q108506169) **Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/saint-ursula-church ## Summary Saint Ursula Church is a former Roman Catholic church building located in Kynšperk nad Ohří, Czech Republic, dedicated to Saint Ursula. The church is classified as a "former entity," meaning it no longer operates or functions as an active religious institution. It was part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Plzeň and represents an important piece of regional ecclesiastical history, though it has ceased to exist as a functioning place of worship. ## Key Facts - **Location**: Kynšperk nad Ohří, Czech Republic - **Coordinates**: 50.1177689° N, 12.5404389° E - **Dedication**: Named after Saint Ursula - **Patron Saint**: Saint Ursula - **Religion/Worldview**: Catholic Church - **Diocese**: Roman Catholic Diocese of Plzeň - **Classification**: Church building; former entity (entity that no longer operates or is terminated) - **Wikidata Description**: church building in Czech Republic - **Commons Category**: Saint Ursula Church (Kynšperk nad Ohří) - **mapy.com ID**: 2346633 - **znicenekostely ID**: 11410 - **Wikipedia Languages**: commons, cs - **Sitelink Count**: 2 - **Image Source**: Historical drawing by Vinzenz Pröckl from 1826 ## FAQs **What does it mean that Saint Ursula Church is classified as a "former entity"?** As a former entity, Saint Ursula Church represents a specific classification in knowledge organization for subjects that no longer operate or have been terminated. This distinguishes it from current active churches, proposed religious buildings, or hypothetical entities. The classification indicates the church has ceased to function in its original capacity as an active place of Catholic worship, marking a definitive state of cessation rather than merely a lack of activity. **Where is Saint Ursula Church located and what diocese was it under?** The church was located in Kynšperk nad Ohří, a town in the Czech Republic. It fell under the jurisdiction of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Plzeň, which oversees Catholic institutions in the Plzeň region of western Bohemia. **What identifiers and references exist for this church in knowledge bases?** The church is documented across multiple knowledge platforms: it has a Wikidata entry with the description "church building in Czech Republic," a Commons category titled "Saint Ursula Church (Kynšperk nad Ohří)," a mapy.com identifier of 2346633, and a znicenekostely.cz identifier of 11410. It is referenced in Czech and Commons Wikipedia, with a sitelink count of 2. **Who is Saint Ursula and why was the church named after her?** Saint Ursula is a legendary Christian saint and martyr traditionally associated with the "Legend of Saint Ursula," which recounts the story of a princess who, along with 11,000 virgin companions, was martyred in Cologne during the Roman period. The church was dedicated to her as its patron saint, a common practice in Catholic tradition to honor saints believed to provide spiritual intercession. **What visual documentation exists of Saint Ursula Church?** A historical drawing of the church exists, created by Vinzenz Pröckl in 1826. This artwork is preserved on Wikimedia Commons and provides visual documentation of the church's appearance during the early 19th century. ## Why It Matters Saint Ursula Church matters as a historical example of Catholic ecclesiastical presence in the Kynšperk nad Ohří region, representing the religious heritage of the Czech Republic's western Bohemia territory. Its classification as a "former entity" highlights the importance of documenting terminated institutions in historical record-keeping, allowing researchers and knowledge systems to distinguish between active organizations and historical artifacts. The church's existence and subsequent cessation provide insight into the evolution of religious infrastructure in rural Czech communities, where changing demographics, secularization, and economic factors have led to the closure of numerous smaller parish churches. Understanding why such churches become former entities helps historians and sociologists analyze patterns of religious practice, population shifts, and cultural changes over time. Additionally, the church's documentation across multiple knowledge bases—including Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons, and specialized Czech heritage registries—demonstrates the ongoing effort to preserve information about architectural and religious heritage, even after institutions cease to function. ## Notable For - **Historical Drawing Preservation**: Features a documented 1826 drawing by Vinzenz Pröckl, providing visual historical record - **Dual Classification**: Listed as both a "church building" and a "former entity," indicating its dual status as architectural heritage and terminated institution - **Multi-Platform Documentation**: Referenced across Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons, mapy.com, znicenekostely.cz, and Czech Wikipedia - **Patron Saint Dedication**: Dedicated to Saint Ursula, reflecting specific Catholic devotional traditions in the region ## Body ### Location and Geography Saint Ursula Church was situated in Kynšperk nad Ohří, a town located in the Karlovy Vary Region of the Czech Republic. The precise geographic coordinates are 50.1177689° north latitude and 12.5404389° east longitude. This location places the church in western Bohemia, near the border with Germany, in an area with a rich history of religious and cultural exchange between Czech and German-speaking populations. ### Religious Affiliation and Jurisdiction The church belonged to the Catholic Church and operated under the authority of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Plzeň. The Diocese of Plzeň encompasses ecclesiastical institutions throughout the Plzeň Region, one of the 13 regions of the Czech Republic. As a dedicated place of Catholic worship, the church would have served the spiritual needs of the local community, hosting Masses, sacraments, and religious ceremonies according to Catholic liturgical traditions. ### Dedication and Patronage The church was named after and dedicated to Saint Ursula, a legendary saint whose feast day is celebrated on October 21. According to tradition, Ursula was a British princess who, with 11,000 virgin companions, made a pilgrimage to Rome and was subsequently martyred in Cologne during the Hunnic invasion around 383 AD. The cult of Saint Ursula became particularly popular in medieval Europe, and numerous churches throughout the continent were dedicated to her. The choice of Saint Ursula as patron suggests the church may have been established during a period of particular devotion to this saint, possibly connected to local historical events, noble patronage, or the spiritual needs of specific community groups. ### Classification as Former Entity The church is classified as a "former entity" in knowledge organization systems, specifically in Wikidata and related semantic databases. This classification (Wikidata ID: Q64139102) denotes entities that no longer operate or have been terminated. As a former entity, the church exists in knowledge bases as a historical record rather than a currently functioning institution. This classification serves critical functions in knowledge graphs and databases by: - Distinguishing terminated institutions from active ones - Preserving historical information about entities that no longer exist - Enabling temporal filtering in research and data analysis - Preventing confusion between historical and current subjects The "former entity" classification explicitly differentiates from proposed entities (not yet begun), current entities (still active), and hypothetical entities (theoretical constructs). This temporal specificity provides clear boundaries for historical research and data modeling. ### Documentation and Knowledge Base Presence Saint Ursula Church is documented across multiple knowledge platforms, demonstrating the interconnected nature of modern digital knowledge repositories: **Wikidata Entry**: The church has a Wikidata entry with the description "church building in Czech Republic," providing structured data about its classification, location, and relationships to other entities. **Wikimedia Commons**: The church has an associated Commons category titled "Saint Ursula Church (Kynšperk nad Ohří)," which houses media related to the church, including the historical drawing by Vinzenz Pröckl from 1826. **Czech Wikipedia**: The church is referenced in Czech-language Wikipedia (cs), with the site linking to the Commons category, creating interconnected documentation. **Specialized Czech Heritage Registries**: The church is listed in znicenekostely.cz (ID: 11410), a Czech registry documenting damaged, destroyed, or abandoned churches, indicating its status as a non-functioning religious structure. **Mapping Services**: The church has a mapy.com identifier (base&id=2346633), allowing geographic visualization and location verification. ### Historical Documentation A significant piece of historical documentation is the drawing by Vinzenz Pröckl from 1826. This artwork, preserved in Wikimedia Commons, provides a visual representation of the church's appearance in the early 19th century. Pröckl was an artist who documented various buildings in the region, and his work serves as valuable primary source material for understanding the architectural characteristics of rural Bohemian churches of that era. The existence of this drawing suggests the church was considered architecturally or historically significant at the time, warranting artistic documentation. ### Relationship to Related Concepts The church exists within a network of related knowledge graph entities: - **Roman Catholic Diocese of Plzeň**: The parent ecclesiastical jurisdiction - **Saint Ursula**: The patron saint and namesake - **Kynšperk nad Ohří**: The municipality and geographic location - **Former Entity Classification**: The broader category defining its terminated status - **Catholic Church**: The religious denomination ### Significance in Regional History The presence of a church dedicated to Saint Ursula in Kynšperk nad Ohří reflects the broader pattern of Catholic institutional development in western Bohemia. The region experienced complex historical transitions, including periods of Habsburg rule, German-speaking population presence, and post-World War II population changes that significantly altered the religious and demographic landscape. Churches like Saint Ursula Church serve as physical manifestations of these historical processes, with their continued documentation preserving institutional memory even after the buildings cease to function. ### Knowledge Graph Integration The church's representation across multiple knowledge bases demonstrates modern approaches to preserving information about terminated institutions. By maintaining entries in Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons, and specialized registries, knowledge systems ensure that historical information remains accessible despite the church's cessation as an active religious institution. This multi-platform approach enables different use cases: Wikidata provides structured semantic data for computational applications, Commons preserves visual and multimedia documentation, and specialized registries offer detailed technical and heritage-specific information. The sitelink count of 2 indicates connections between Wikipedia language editions and other Wikimedia projects, creating an interconnected web of documentation that supports research, education, and cultural preservation.