Kyrkobyggnader till salu En studie av försäljningsprocessen

Abstract

Since the year 2000, 55 churches belonging to the Church of Sweden, have been sold. Considering the fact that the Church of Sweden has more than 3400 churches to administer, the amount seems small. But the economy of the parishes’ is diminishing due to a decreased number of members and it is predicted that more churches will be put out for to sale. To understand the changes that this cultural heritage is facing, more research needs to be done on the subject. The aim of this study is to examine and describe the process of selling a church, belonging to the Church of Sweden. Case studies of two churches in Västra Götaland have been performed as a part of this thesis. Both cases are sold and have no longer any religious association. Special attention has been given to how the churches’ historic values have been treated in the sales process. No previous studies have been performed on this subject, and the case studies are mainly based on interviews. The results of the studies are not applicable on every church that has been sold; instead the aim of the thesis is to show the complexity of the process. When the use of a church changes, it is almost necessary to make physical changes. This inevitably affects the significant historic values of the church, both tangible and intangible. At the same time, the reuse of a church does mean that the building is physically preserved. More research is required in order to deal with the challenges and changes this significant heritage is facing.