On Thursday, 17 September, the Saeima decided in the third and final reading that the state-owned real estate property located in Riga, Riharda Vāgnera iela 4, shall be transferred to the Riga Richard Wagner Society (RRWS) free of charge.
The goal of this Law is to promote the conservation of the property, as well as to regulate its restoration and use, as the history of the four-storey building is part of the cultural and historic heritage of Latvia. The State shall transfer the property, which is a cultural monument of State significance, to the RRWS to ensure its restoration, continued availability to the public and use for cultural and educational purposes, including as a venue for the promotion of concerts, plays, exhibitions, and cultural values and educational events connected therewith.
At the same time, the Law prohibits the disposal, pledge, or encumbrance of the property. The proceeds from the economic activity of the Society shall only be used for the restoration and maintenance of the property, as well as for providing public access to it and using it for cultural and educational purposes.
As set out in the Law, the property shall belong to the Ministry of Finance on behalf of the State in case the RRWS ceases to exist. The Law also provides for other cases when the property is to be returned to the State, for example, if the property is not made available to the public or if it is not used for the purposes listed in the Law. The property shall also be returned to the State if the conservation and restoration works are not commenced within three years since the signature of the transfer-ownership certificate and also if the property is not conserved and restored within ten years since its transfer.
Māris Gailis, Chair of the RRWS Board, informed the Committee during its meeting that the project is to be initiated this year so that the Wagner House could already welcome its first visitors in 2025.
The building on Riharda Vāgnera iela was erected in 1781 and it used to accommodate the Riga City Theatre where Richard Wagner worked as the chief conductor in the period between 1837 and 1839. The building, which is part of the real-estate property, is included in the list of State protected cultural monuments and it also forms part of the UNESCO World Heritage site "Historic Centre of Riga”, the urban construction monument of State significance "Riga City Historic Centre” and the archaeological monument of State significance "Riga Old Town Archaeological Complex”. As noted in the summary of the Draft Law, the building is also known as the Wagner Hall.
The property is currently in dire disrepair and it has not been used since 2006 when it was closed to visitors due to worsening technical conditions, the authors of the Draft Law explain.
Founded in 2014 with the aim of restoring the Wagner House, the RRWS is a member of the International Association of Wagner Societies.
Saeima Press Service