Minister Seeks Common Ground in Church Dispute, Lutherans Demand Compensation
Speaking before Parliament on November 16, Minister of Culture Rein Lang said the state will continue to operate as the caretaker of the St. Nicholas Church even when the government returns ownership of the building to the Evangelical Lutheran Church.
“In order to secure the continued operation of the museum and the concert hall, we have devised a plan by which the Church - if it is to obtain ownership of the building - will give back a usufructuary agreement to the museum and concert hall," said Lang.
The 20-year-old dispute was brought back into public discourse when the culture minister said last month that the government would return the church building to the Lutherans.
In a statement today, the Evangelical Lutheran Church said the government must choose between repossession and compensation. "We have been waiting for a decision for 20 years," said Urmas Viilma, a representative of the congregation.
On Tuesday, the other major player in the conflict, the Art Museum of Estonia, threatened to pack its bags if the building is returned to the Evangelical Lutheran Church.
Tallinn City Government and the National Heritage Board also oppose Lutheran ownership.
Initially, the national government had opposed handing over the church, but a Supreme Court decision ruled otherwise.
Ott Tammik