engleski

From confiscated properties to new possibilities for redevelopment: state of returned properties of Catholic Church in Zagreb

Rise of Communist system in Yugoslavia in 1945 was accompanied by sever process of nationalization of property of private persons and religious communities, especially the property of the Catholic Church. Confiscation was regulated by different laws i.e. Law on agrarian reform and colonization (1945), Law on nationalization (1946 and 1948) and Law on expropriation (1947). These laws among other thing defines maximum surface of land which could be owned by individuals or communities. For individuals maximum surface was 30 ha, for Catholic Church was 10 ha. In Archdiocese of Zagreb in total 13 240 hectares (82 per cent of all land) was nationalized. Also 67 out of 131 buildings were confiscated, 48 from the Archdiocese of Zagreb and 19 from different perishes. With the fall of the Communist system in 1990’s and based on agreements between Republic of Croatian and The Holy See from 1992 and especially on Agreement on economic affairs from 1998, the processes of return of confiscated properties and/or reimbursement has started. Based on above stated agreements question of return of confiscated properties is approached bilaterally between representatives of Government commission for relations with religious communities and Bishop’s Commission of Croatian Bishops Conference. This paper analyses state of return or reparation of confiscated buildings owned by the Catholic Church and possibilities of their redevelopment. In total 19 buildings were returned to perishes and 21 were returned to Archdiocese of Zagreb. However in reality situation is different since some of the buildings are still occupied by the previous users, or are in the poor physical condition. Also some properties were reimbursed i.e. complex of former military barracks Kralj Tomislav in Ilica 202 reimbursed for the complex of 27 building buildings in Vlaška street (“Little Vatican”) and redeveloped into Croatian Catholic University.

Catholic Church; Zagreb; redevelopment; indemnification; poperty return

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