!!!Religionsfonds

Religionsfonds, legal entity under Austrian state church legislation. 
In 1782 Joseph II combined several funds (old religious funds, 
the Hermit fund and the Bohemian Salt fund (since 1630)) with the 
assets of more than 700 dissolved monasteries, closed churches and 
chapels, abolished benefices and confraternities of the monarchy to 
form the Religionsfonds. The fund was administered by state 
commissions that included church representatives. Formerly 
administered centrally from Vienna, the Religionsfonds passed into the 
jurisdiction of the provinces in 1802. It covered the personnel and 
material expenses of the newly established parishes, while older 
parishes were only granted allowances. In the 19%%sup th/%  century 
expenses increased as old and Josephinian parishes were given equal 
status in 1885. The  Concordat of 1855 and of 1933/34 continued the 
Religionsfonds. The Religionsfonds was dissolved after the Anschluss 
in 1938, in 1939 the Church Tax law was passed and all resulting 
rights and duties were passed on to the German Reich. In 1960 the 
"Vertrag zwischen dem Heiligen Stuhl und der Republik 
Oesterreich zur Regelung von vermoegensrechtlichen Beziehungen" 
(Treaty between the Holy See and the Republic of Austria regulating 
relations under property law) regulated the return of Religionsfonds 
assets to the Republic of Austria and a settlement with the Catholic 
church.

!Literature
S. Ritter, Die kirchliche Vermoegensverwaltung in 
Oesterreich, 1954; H. Paarhammer (ed.), Kirchliches Finanzwesen in 
Oesterreich, 1989.


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