As Eisenhüttenstadt celebrates its 75th anniversary, the city is once again becoming a focal point of headlines. This intended Soviet-style city located on the Polish border near Berlin. Eisenhüttenstadt would become the first Socialist city in either East or West Germany following the Nazi period. Similar to Gary, it quickly grew up around a new steel plant in the post-World War II era. Today, the city faces challenges with a shrinking, aging population. Perhaps that’s because its population has since shrunk to fewer than 26,500 residents, under half of the 53,000 it had at the fall of the Berlin Wall.
To attract new residents and stop its ongoing depopulation, the city held a novel contest that would award winners with two weeks of free accommodations. This program received an incredible amount of demand. It drew more than 1,700 applications from people around the globe, all interested in experiencing life in Eisenhüttenstadt.
The competition showcased the city’s renovated and affordable neoclassical housing and its verdant surroundings, which offer ample opportunities for swimming and cycling. Plentiful childcare options and a strong job market further elevate Eisenhüttenstadt’s status as a place ideal for families and other professionals to call home.
Melanie Henniger, a 49-year-old IT consultant from nearby Frankfurt an der Oder, is one of the victors in this peculiar competition. The second winner is Jonas Brander, a 39-year-old filmmaker living in Berlin. This coming September, however, both will move into airy, furnished apartments in the downtown core. They’ll experience a red-carpet orientation program designed to help them acclimate to their new environment.
Henniger expressed her excitement about returning to her eastern roots, stating, “This is a great chance to get to know the region again, because otherwise I wouldn’t have any opportunities at all as I don’t know anyone there any more.” She added, “In the best case scenario, I can put down new roots there again.”
Jonas Brander is embarking on a feature length documentary on Eisenhüttenstadt. His work is a testament to the new energy focused on our city’s deep history and still-unrealized potential. Julia Basan, the municipal economic development officer spearheading the campaign, says the project has already attracted promising applicants. These unifying themes attract people with a wide variety of motivations. She noted that of those “very realistic applications” that came through. She particularly highlighted “the most comprehensive motives” stated by applicants throughout the application process. One applicant went so far as to say they wanted to “marry a German woman.” Now that’s commitment, though it certainly reflects the colorful aspirations of moving to Eisenhüttenstadt.
As Eisenhüttenstadt moves forward with its innovative contest and celebrates its rich history, it hopes to revitalize its community and attract new residents who can contribute to its future growth.