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German contest to live in depopulated Soviet-era city proves global hit
Eisenhüttenstadt offered spacious central flats rent-free for two weeks in effort to attract valuable professionals
“We ourselves were very surprised by the reach our Probewohnen(trial living) project has had,” Julia Basan, the municipal economic development officer spearheading the campaign, told reporters on Thursday. Photograph: Christian Jungeblodt/The GuardianMelanie Henniger, a 49-year-old IT consultant and self-described “empty nester” living in the north-western city of Bremen, said she had grown up in nearby Frankfurt an der Oder and was interested in returning to her eastern roots. However, Basan said the programme had allowed Eisenhüttenstadt to put its best foot forward, touting its renovated and affordable neoclassical housing, verdant surroundings perfect for swimming and cycling, and plentiful childcare and work opportunities.
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