Restoration plans
"Kanjerregeling"
On October 31 2000 and many times after this the Pieterskerk Leiden Foundation (Stichting Pieterskerk Leiden) has put in appeals with the Council of Leiden (College van Burgemeester en Wethouders van Leiden) and the Realm on behalf of the Besluit Rijkssubsidiëring Grootschalige Restauraties to get a special grant (Kanjerregeling). This arrangement is meant for monuments where the costs of restoration are so high that a considerable subsidy is needed.
Acknowledgment of the need for restoration
On January 31 2001 the Staatssecretaris van Cultuur, Onderwijs en Wetenschappen gave the Pieterskerk Leiden Foundation a huge grant of 2.2 million euro for the restoration. On December 18 2002 a second grant of 1.7 million euro was granted. In December 2005 this was followed by another 3.6 million euro and in 2006 the Pieterskerk received an additional 3.2 million euro. With 10.8 million the Realm covers almost 50% of the entire restoration.
This is an acknowledgement of the need to restore the church and underlines the architectural, culture-historical and social importance of the Pieterskerk.
The Council of Leiden also confirms the importance of the Pieterskerk by a unanimous approval of a proposition to guarantee the interest and the pay off of a loan of over € 5.5 million for the restoration. This covers 75% of the total sum.
Due to the participation of a lot of funds - amongst others Fonds 1818, the World Monument Fund (in lieu with American Express), the BankGiro Loterij - and the donations of many citizens and companies, over 3 million euro has been amassed to cover the additional money needed.
The Pieterskerk Leiden Foundation has been left with the daunting task to come up with the remaining amount, a staggering € 1,900,000.- to preserve this important historical monument for posterity.
