Biens nationaux

The terms national heritage (French bien national) or church property is defined as the property of the church and the clergy ( esp. property ) in France during the Revolution and its catchment area in the later French satellite states, which in the course of the revolutionary transformation of the state and society " nationalized " d has been nationalized h.

This nationalization go to a request of the Bishop of Autun in the National Assembly, which later became Minister Talleyrand from October 10, 1789 back, which argued that the clergy was not the real owner of the church property, but this only for maintenance of the church servants of the cult caring for the poor need. However, since these tasks take in the future of the state, ie the nation, the clergy of this high assets would no longer require.

The real motivation for this theory was the high national debt, which had taken over the revolutionary France of the Ancien Régime and threatened on the basis of which the national bankruptcy. This debt was sought by the sale of - to pay off Church property - to national property to be explained (French nationalization ).

After fierce debate in the National Assembly, all the property of the French church was, with 568 to 346 MPs votes on November 2, 1789 the property of the French nation, which up to 10% of land ownership in the country changed hands. The debt burden was met immediately with the publication of the so-called assignats, treasury notes, which should be covered by the profit from the subsequent sale of the former church property.

Many of the former National Church goods were sold in the aftermath of demolition contractor who re-used the stones in the construction of newer homes, roads, bridges etc.. In churches and monasteries, most of the unsold inventory (pictures, furniture, etc.) was looted and / or burned. The church building itself remained - often spared - unlike the outbuildings; they were converted to local parish churches or served as warehouses for manufacturers of all kinds