Eisenhüttenstadt, a German city on the Poland border, is offering free accommodation for two weeks to attract new residents and counteract the population decline
A city in eastern Germany is offering two weeks of free accommodation to encourage people to move there and thus increase their population.
Eisenhüttenstadt, located next to the border with Poland, about 100 kilometers from the capital Berlin, is providing a 14 -day experimental stay for potential new residents, according to a statement from the May 13 municipal council.
“The project is intended for all who are interested in moving to Eisenhüttestadt-such as hanging workers, former residents who want to return, qualified professionals or independent workers in search of a change of air,” reads in the statement, which indicates that applications are open until early July.
The selected participants will be entitled to free accommodation in a furnished apartment, between September 6 and 20, as part of a “innovative immigration project” entitled “Make Plans Now”, explains the municipality.
Empty apartments in a building of the socialist era photographed in 2023. (Image: Patrick Pleul/Picture Alliance/Getty images)
During these two weeks, they will “have the opportunity to know the life, work and the community of Eisenhüttestadt – for free and in the heart of the city,” he adds in a statement.
To help participants better know the locality, the municipality will organize various activities, including a guided tour of the city, a visit to a factory and various excursions.
The Municipal Council will also encourage participants to remain definitively, with local companies to offer internships, work follow -up programs and interview opportunities.
Founded in 1950, Eisenhüttenstadt – which can be translated as “city of steel mill” – was the first city totally planned by the socialist government of the former East Germany.
A great mosaic mural of the German artist of socialist realism Walter Womacka on the facade of an old warehouse in the city. (Image: Patrick Pleul/Picture Alliance/Getty Images)
Raised by the Oder River, the city was built around a huge steel.
Previously known as Stalinstadt, or “City of Stalin”, in honor of former Soviet leader Joseph Stalin, the city was renamed Germany, following the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.
Like many locations in the former East Germany, Eisenhüttestadt has seen a population decline since reunification, from over 50,000 inhabitants to about 24,000 currently, the local official Julia Basan explains to the RBB24 communication agency, cited by CNN International.
The purpose of the initiative is to attract new permanent residents, especially qualified professionals, says Julia Basan.
Eisenhüttenstadt is located by the Oder River, on the border between Germany and Poland. (Image: Patrick Pleul/Picture Alliance via Getty Images)
Currently, Eishüttestadt welcomes the largest integrated integrated steel for 2,500 people, which is also an important hub for metal transformation.
Many of the buildings built in the socialist era are classified as historical monuments and the city’s open disposition arouses the interest of architectural passionate visitors.
A newcomer claims that it was precisely the architecture that convinced him to move there.
“It was a complete coincidence,” says in a video posted on Instagram from the City Council.
“We were on their way to Ratzdorf with friends and we passed Karl-Marx-Straße. I saw these houses, this architecture that made me completely fascinated and said to my wife: ‘I will move here,’” he explains.
The man eventually organized a guided tour of the city with a local historian to learn more.
“After the visit we were completely impressed by this architecture, and that was really the turning point,” he says.
