Abstract
Czech society’s tendencies towards secularization over the past 20 years are reflected in the issue of the restitution of church properties seized during the communist era. The overall amount is calculated at 134 billion CZK (approx. 6.7 billion USD) and represents the state’s financial debt towards the churches. Despite the low percentage of believers (21 %) according to the 2011 census, no official declaration mandating the separation of the church and state has been currently made in Czechia as it has been done elsewhere in Europe. After the fall of the communist dictatorship, attempts to return formerly church-owned properties seized by the state began in the hopes of achieving a full restitution of properties and resolving disrupted church-state relations. After more than 20 years the majority of previously church-owned properties remain unresolved. Most churches continue to be dependent on the state, because legislative and legal conditions have not been agreed upon or enforced. We evaluate the process of returning church properties seized during the communist era as a reflection of continually developing church-state relations. We analyze discussions and priorities of the individual actors (state, churches, administrations, landowners and developers) including the public. The state is obligated to fulfill its social-moral commitments as well as with responsibilities towards the citizens/voters and the public. It is clear not only that a conflict exists and that is the primary cause for the long period of inactivity. We examine these unresolved issues in the village of Červená Řečice and how they affect local and regional development and the major actors. Not only does the blockage of church properties result in stagnation (infrastructure and new construction), but also other socioeconomic developments. This issue remains outside of the interest of mainstream media and the professional and lay public interest as well.
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Notes
- 1.
The term “enumeration” indicated that the appendices to the act included an exact list of real estate properties that were subject to transfer.
- 2.
“It is also possible to point out that the failure to return (as actual real estate properties) any of a certain group of items from among the historical properties of churches and religious communities would constitute a violation of Article 15 (1), Article 16 (1) and (2) of the Charter of Fundamental Rights and Basic Freedoms” (Jäger 2012).
- 3.
Those that were not involved in education, scientific research, healthcare or charity work.
- 4.
Only losses that occurred during this time period are to be compensated.
- 5.
Based on the average market price of agricultural land.
- 6.
The amount is the current value of the property that was unlawfully taken from the churches in the past.
- 7.
There is a justifiable assumption that, in the case of certain parcels becoming property of the state, such property would be transferred for free or, at least, under favorable conditions, to the municipality, in which it is located.
- 8.
Discussions with Pavla Bendová, director of the Churches Division in the Ministry of Culture, are particularly interesting as is the first reading of negotiations on the drafted legislation for an act on property settlement with churches and religious societies in the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Parliament.
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Acknowledgment
This article was prepared within the grant project Nr. P410/12/G113: Historical Geography Research Centre and Nr. 13-35680S: Development, transformation and differentiation of religion in Czechia in the context of global and European shifts (Grant Agency of the Czech Republic).
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Hupková, M., Havlíček, T., Reeves, D. (2015). Secularization and Church Property: The Case of Czechia. In: Brunn, S. (eds) The Changing World Religion Map. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-9376-6_115
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