Apartments with a free trial? This European city’s curious initiative to attract new residents
In a bid to boost population, one European city is offering free accommodation.
In an effort to boost the local population and economy, a town in Germany is offering two weeks free accommodation for people prepared to relocate and become residents.
The town of Eisenhüttenstadt, which sits in the state of Brandenburg, just a few miles from the Polish border and 60 miles from the German capital Berlin, was founded in 1950. It was the first fully planned town built under the socialist government of the former East Germany.
Formerly called Stalinstadt, or Stalin Town, in honor of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin, the city was renamed after the reunification of East and West Germany following the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989.
At present, the population sits at around 24,000 after dropping by around half after reunification and the collapse of the rigid East German economy that propped it up.
‘The project is aimed at anyone interested in moving to Eisenhüttenstadt’
The town was constructed around a new steelworks complex, the Eisenhüttenkombinat Ost, which became the economic and symbolic heart of the area.
Designed as a planned city in the German Democratic Republic (GDR), it was meant to embody the ideals of socialism with wide boulevards, uniform apartment blocks, and community-focused urban planning.
In a statement made by the council, it was announced that applications open until the beginning of July, with the local body saying “the project is aimed at anyone interested in moving to Eisenhüttenstadt—such as commuters, those interested in returning to the town, skilled workers, or self-employed individuals seeking a change of scenery."
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