Scientology in the Netherlands
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The Church of Scientology has been active in the Netherlands since 1972, opening its first church in Amsterdam in 1974.[1][2]
The amount of active Scientologists in the Netherlands is not definitively known, but media sources estimate membership to be around 100-200 active members as of 2015.[3]
In 2008 as part of Project Chanology, members of Anonymous, attempting to target the digital infrastructure of the church, instead accidentally initiated a cyberattack against a Dutch primary school.[4] In the same year, the church applied to the Dutch Tax and Customs Administration for recognition as a public benefit organization, which would give the church and its donors certain tax benefits.[5]
In 2015, the Church attracted controversy when an undercover journalist from De Volkskrant allegedly received an auditing session from an 11-year-old boy.[6]
In 2016, the Supreme Court of the Netherlands ruled that the church and its services offered were operated for commercial purposes, thereby denying their petition for recognition as a public benefit organization.[5]
On October 28, 2017, a new church was opened in Amsterdam with a private ceremony attended by church leader David Miscavige.[2][7] The church had purchased the property in Amsterdam for approximately €5 million in 2013.[8][9]
In August 2022, the Dutch government officially recognized Scientology as a religious public benefit organization, reversing earlier court decisions.[10][11] It was determined by the Dutch Tax and Customs Administration that the activities and practices of the church were of a religious nature and thereby served a public benefit as related to taxation.[10][11]