Sofia Municipality has filed a lawsuit with the Sofia City Court seeking to be recognized as the owner of the Maria Luiza Bathhouse and the Summer Theatre in Borisova Garden, as well as to obtain possession of both properties. The statement of claim combines six claims through which the municipality challenges the legal grounds for including the properties in the capital of commercial companies.
“These places are part of Sofia’s collective memory. Generations of Sofia residents have swum at the Maria Luiza Bathhouse and attended performances at the Summer Theatre. Today, they are inaccessible to the public. We will not accept iconic public spaces remaining closed and neglected,” Mayor Vasil Terziev said.
Restrictions protect the properties until the dispute is resolved
Before filing the main lawsuit, Sofia Municipality requested interim measures. In a ruling dated October 19, 2026, the Sofia City Court allowed restrictions to be imposed on the bathhouse and the Summer Theatre.
The measure aims to prevent disposal transactions and the establishment of new rights in favor of third parties that could make it more difficult for the properties to potentially be returned to the municipality. Deputy Mayor for Legal Affairs Stefan Darov said that the court dispute could last seven or eight years. For this reason, he said, it was important for both properties to be protected even before the main lawsuit began.
The dispute began with the contribution of the properties to company capital
The municipality is asking the court to recognize its ownership of the bathhouse, the adjacent land, the buildings and facilities, as well as of the Summer Theatre and its grounds.
The case dates back to the late 1990s and early 2000s. At that time, the properties were included in the capital of “Sofiyski Imoti,” and were later contributed to “Park Maria Luiza” AD. A private shareholder holds the majority stake in the company, while the municipal “Sofiyski Imoti” has a minority share.
Through the lawsuit, the municipality is specifically challenging the legal grounds on which the two sites were transferred into the capital of the commercial companies. The outcome of the dispute will determine who has ownership and possession rights over the Maria Luiza Bathhouse and the Summer Theatre.
Sources: bntnews.bg