Funding of Religious Heritage – the Case of Denmark

Professor Lisbet Christoffersen, lic@ruc.dk 1

Funding of Religious Heritage – the Case of Denmark

Contribution to RELIGARE / CNRS-SeminarStrasbourg

15/11/2012

Professor Lisbet Christoffersen, lic@ruc.dk 2

Approach: ‘in dominant church systems’

Presupposing state involvement in funding religious buildings and other religious sites contributing to national heritageHistorically: churches in DK were built & owned by kings, by noble men, by monasteries and by local people. A system of churchwardens, since 1903 supplemented by congregation councils.20th century made church buildings within the national church freehold, governed by the congregation councils.

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Professor Lisbet Christoffersen, lic@ruc.dk 3

Roskilde CathedralUnesco world heritage

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Professor Lisbet Christoffersen, lic@ruc.dk 415/11/2012

Professor Lisbet Christoffersen, lic@ruc.dk 515/11/2012

Professor Lisbet Christoffersen, lic@ruc.dk 6

Funding Roskilde Cathedral:

Maintenance:Church tax paid by church members in the town of Roskilde + payment from tourists for visits outside servicesRestoration: state tax, paid by all citizens, has contributed to the recent restoration. This is due to the function as royal burial place, thus an exception from a general rule.

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Professor Lisbet Christoffersen, lic@ruc.dk 7

Jelling – national heritage (built 1100 between two Viking graves)

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Professor Lisbet Christoffersen, lic@ruc.dk 8

And thus also site for the official millennium celebration 03-12-2000

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Professor Lisbet Christoffersen, lic@ruc.dk 9

Funding Jelling village church:

Maintenance: Church members in the council (85 % of population). No payment for visits to the church (open all day all year around). No state funding to maintenance.

Restoration in 2000: funded by a national foundation, established with the speaker of parliament (former Roskilde University vice chancellor) as chair in order to celebrate the millennium, thus the second exception from the general rule

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Professor Lisbet Christoffersen, lic@ruc.dk 10

Our Savior’s Church, Copenhagen (ca 1700 - example of a tourist site)

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Professor Lisbet Christoffersen, lic@ruc.dk 11

Funding, Our Savior’s Church

Maintenance:Church tax paid by church members in Copenhagen (50% of the population) + payment for tourists visits to the tower, whereas visits in the church is for free

Restoration (2009): 15 mio Euro paid as church tax by church members in Copenhagen + ½ mio euro financed through private funding after application. No state aid.

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Professor Lisbet Christoffersen, lic@ruc.dk 12

Our Lady’s Church, Cathedral of Copenhagen (1200, rebuild 1829)

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Professor Lisbet Christoffersen, lic@ruc.dk 13

Hover– early roman church, ca 1100

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Professor Lisbet Christoffersen, lic@ruc.dk 14

Both churches are listed as cultural sites – financed equally:

Maintenance: members of the Danish national church in the local area. No state co-financing of building – no payment for visits (both are open all day)

Restoration: members of the church in the local area + external private funding based on application

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Professor Lisbet Christoffersen, lic@ruc.dk 15

Cemeteries/churchyards

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Professor Lisbet Christoffersen, lic@ruc.dk 16

Funding of cemeteries:

Most of the around 2.200 cemeteries are owned, maintained and restored by the church and thus funded through a combination of church taxes (paid by members only) and payment for a burial place, including maintenance of that plot.10 Cemeteries in major cities are owned, maintained and restored by the city council; the citizens still by their burial place and thereby contribute to the maintenance of the individual plot. The Jewish community, Catholics and a few others own their own cemeteries – paid by the congregation.

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Professor Lisbet Christoffersen, lic@ruc.dk 17

Church for Hugeunotte’s in Fredericia (1736)

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Professor Lisbet Christoffersen, lic@ruc.dk 18

Funding of reformed church buildings:

Maintenance: the congregation (ca 2.000 people). The state does not organise any church taxes

Restoration: the congregation and private funding after application. No state aid.

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Professor Lisbet Christoffersen, lic@ruc.dk 19

Catholic St Ansgarius’ Church, Copenhagen (1840 and earlier)

Maintenance: the catholic congregation in Denmark + aid from the Catholic church in Germany. No state aid in organising e.g. church taxesRestoration: church members and private funding. No payment for visits

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Professor Lisbet Christoffersen, lic@ruc.dk 20

Jewish Synagogue in Copenhagen (1833)

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Professor Lisbet Christoffersen, lic@ruc.dk 21

Funding of buildings for the Jewish congregation(s):

Maintenance: the Jewish congregation. No payment for visits (however, due to security reasons, visits only by arrangement). No state organisation of sort of religious tax - Restoration: the Jewish congregation + private funding

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Professor Lisbet Christoffersen, lic@ruc.dk 22

Anglican St Alban’s Church (1887)

Established: funding from the royal families + private fundingMaintenance: the Anglican community in DKRestoration: the Anglican community in DK + private funding

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Professor Lisbet Christoffersen, lic@ruc.dk 23

St Aleksander Nevskij Church, Copenhagen (1883)

Established, maintained and restored after the same principles as the Anglican church

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Professor Lisbet Christoffersen, lic@ruc.dk 24

Organisation:

The Norwegian Church in Copenhagen (1953 ca)

Established as part of a private organisation: Norwegian church for seamen.

Now Church of Norway abroad. Co-financed by the Norwegian state (1/3), members’ fees & private funding

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Professor Lisbet Christoffersen, lic@ruc.dk 25

Baptist- and Evangelical Churches

Establishment, maintenance & Restoration: all paid for by the members of the religious community. No state or council support.

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Professor Lisbet Christoffersen, lic@ruc.dk 26

The most established mosque in Copenhagen – a former factory

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Professor Lisbet Christoffersen, lic@ruc.dk 27

City-council has accepted this project for a new Shiit-mosque in Copenhagen

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Professor Lisbet Christoffersen, lic@ruc.dk 28

- And this for a Sunnit-mosque, also in Copenhagen

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Professor Lisbet Christoffersen, lic@ruc.dk 29

Funding for Mosque’s:

Establishment: the same principles as other religious communities outside the national church: the members of the community in principle. However, this leads to a huge external funding from foreign states. Maintenance & Restoration: in principle as for other non-national church communities

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Professor Lisbet Christoffersen, lic@ruc.dk 30

To conclude:

There is in general no public funding of religious heritage in the Danish dominant church system, except when the royal family is involved

And absolutely no public funding of religious buildings belonging to other religious communities, incl Muslim groups.

The wisdom in this approach could be discussed. 15/11/2012

Professor Lisbet Christoffersen, lic@ruc.dk 3115/11/2012