Anders Olsson: The academy has already paid the rent - 100 years ago

The Swedish Academy's lease agreement signed with the City of Stockholm in 1914 means that the Academy rents a space of approximately 2,000 square meters in Börshuset in Stockholm - free of charge.

And on Thursday, it became clear that the City of Stockholm wants the Swedish Academy's lease agreement to be renegotiated.

- We will not subsidize tenants in this way, this is the most favorable agreement that anyone has with the city of Stockholm, said Dennis Wedin (M), housing and real estate citizen council in Stockholm, to TT on Thursday.

It is the lost income per year should be SEK 6 million.

This is based on an estimate of the market rent for the premises today as the real estate office has done, writes the Moderates in the city of Stockholm.

"Made a mistake in 1914"

The City of Stockholm's plans have caused the Swedish Academy's permanent secretary Anders Olsson to react.

In an email to Kulturnyheterna, Anders Olsson writes that the Swedish Academy has already paid the rent - 100 years ago:

“Taxpayers are not responsible for the Swedish Academy's rent.

At the accession just over 100 years ago, the Swedish Academy paid SEK 600,000 (corresponding today to approximately SEK 24 million).

The idea on the part of the city must have been that the city would receive reasonable compensation for the right of use from the return on capital.

If the city now considers that it does not get it, the city either made a false speculation in 1914 or has neglected to manage the capital.

It is therefore not reasonable for additional rent to be paid. ”, Writes Anders Olsson.

Pay another hundred years?

Anders Olsson has previously said that no negotiations have been initiated and that the Swedish Academy is prepared to take the matter to court.

Dennis Wedin (M) writes in an email to Kulturnyheterna after reading Anders Olsson's comment.

He believes that it is a matter of course that the Academy should pay.

"For the Swedish Academy, it seems a matter of course that Stockholm's taxpayers will continue to be charged for another hundred years, based on an agreement that was drawn up in 1914 under completely different legal conditions."