Court rules that St Vitus' Cathedral belongs to the state

A district court in Prague ruled on Thursday that St. Vitus' Cathedral should remain the property of the state. The cathedral in the grounds of Prague Castle has been the subject of a long-running ownership dispute between the Czech state and the Catholic Church. A previous ruling had declared the church to be the owner of the well-known monument, but this was subsequently overturned by the Supreme Court earlier this year.

St. Vitus' Cathedral, which dates back to the 14th century, was declared state property by the communist regime in the 1950s when the area around Prague Castle was made into a special heritage zone. The Catholic Church has been trying to have the building returned to it since filing a lawsuit claiming ownership in 1992. The latest verdict will not come into effect just yet as the church still has leave to appeal.