German city to offer free two-week accommodations to attract residents amid depopulation
A city in Germany is set to offer two-week accommodations for free in an attempt to attract new residents amid depopulation issues.
The South China Morning Post reported that the city administration of Eisenhüttenstadt, some 100 kilometers (62 miles) east of capital Berlin, is inviting applicants to stay in a furnished apartment from Sept. 6 to 20.
They will also be offered a leisure program, as well as internships and the opportunity to visit local companies.
The city is welcoming anyone, including returnees, commuters, skilled workers, and the self-employed.
More information about the initiative, including the application form, is set to go online by the end of May.
Eisenhüttenstadt has experienced a significant decrease in population years after the 1990 German reunification, the process of East and West Germany unifying into a single nation decades after World War II. The reunification led to younger people finding work elsewhere.
According to the SCMP, city official Julia Basan said the present Eisenhüttenstadt population has declined to some 24,000 in recent years, from around 50,000 in 1990.
Eisenhüttenstadt is located on Germany’s eastern edge on the border with Poland. It was founded in 1950 to provide lodging to workers at a newly established steelworks, serving as the first planned city in East Germany.
Originally meant for a population of 30,000, it was called Stalinstadt, or Stalin City, between 1953 and 1961. It was renamed to Eisenhüttenstadt, or Ironworks City, since its steelworks provide the most important source of employment.
