Affordable housing is rare in Germany. 40% of households spend over a third of their income on rent. But in Augsburg, some have paid almost no rent for over 500 years!
00:00Rent for 88 cents per year during a housing crisis?
00:04In this complex in Augsburg, Bavaria, it is reality.
00:08But anyone wanting to move in here has to meet some unusual conditions.
00:12One of the residents takes us behind the scenes of the Fuggerei,
00:16the world's oldest existing social housing complex.
00:20Hi, I'm Angelika Stiebe.
00:24I've been living here in the Fuggerei since April 1st for 88 cents per year.
00:29And that's no April Fool's joke.
00:35The Fuggerei, with its 67 buildings, is 500 years old.
00:39To qualify for an apartment here, you have to be Catholic, in need and from Augsburg.
00:44Some 150 people live here.
00:49Angelika's 60 square meter apartment has been renovated and modernized.
00:54Besides the symbolic rent, she pays about 100 euros a month for utilities.
00:58It even has a small backyard.
01:02Often other residents come by for a visit.
01:06The average age in the Fuggerei is 60.
01:08But some young people live here too.
01:10Not only is moving into the Fuggerei subject to special conditions.
01:20At night, special rules are in place.
01:22At 10pm, the gates are closed and guarded by residents.
01:25Anyone arriving late has to pay.
01:28I have to ring the bell.
01:31I have to ring the bell.
01:32The night watchman opens up and I pay him 50 cents if it's before midnight.
01:36Or a whole euro if it's later.
01:38Angelika owes her flat to Jakob Fugger, the 16th century's richest man.
01:46In 1521, the merchant donated the complex to people in need.
01:50The rent set in the foundation deed matched the monthly wage in the late Middle Ages.
01:55One Rhenish gilder.
01:56And has not been increased since.
01:58This is Jakob Fugger the rich.
02:00I would say he's my best friend.
02:03Because he gave me the opportunity to live here in the Fuggerei.
02:07For that, I'm incredibly grateful to him.
02:11Jakob Fugger was not only extremely rich, but also a devout Catholic.
02:16He wanted to help the purr and save his soul from purgatory.
02:19This is why there is another condition for residents.
02:22To this day, they must pray for him and his family three times a day.
02:26Angelika is happy to do so in the small church at the Fuggerei.
02:30Sometimes I repeat the three prayers ten times.
02:35Because it just flows like a mantra.
02:37It feels good to be able to give something back in return.
02:40No, nobody checks up on you.
02:43How could they?
02:45Now the Fuggerei is run by a foundation and receives no government support.
02:50It is financed by timber trade and tourism.
02:53Some 200,000 visitors come each year.
02:56Angelika never imagined that she would be one day in need.
02:59She worked in the restaurant industry, was active in sports and traveled extensively.
03:04Then it all changed.
03:08I always thought I was covered and nothing could happen to me.
03:13And then, when I was just 55, I was diagnosed with breast cancer.
03:20While the pension fund and the employment office disputed who was responsible for her,
03:24she used up her savings.
03:26Finally, she applied to the Fuggerei.
03:28When she was accepted, a weight was lifted from her shoulders.
03:32The first thing I did was weigh myself because it felt like I was three kilos lighter without the burden.
03:38All the residents are tended by social workers.
03:41Doris Herzog interviews new applicants.
03:44There is no strict waiting list.
03:46Instead, she focuses on personality.
03:48She quickly realized that Angelika belonged in the Fuggerei.
03:55It was a perfect fit.
03:57I knew that this person was just perfect for this apartment.
04:00And that's how it came to be.
04:02But before people can actually move into an apartment in the Fuggerei, up to six years can go by.
04:08Once applicants have gone through the process, their application is finally submitted to one of the Fugga descendants.
04:15Ultimately, the Fugga family still decides who can actually move in.
04:20Angelika waited three years for her apartment and wants to stay forever.
04:24The rental contracts are unlimited.
04:26The world's oldest social housing project saved Angelika during a difficult time, and she wishes there were more people like Jakob Fugga.
04:34I'd like to see such opportunities for other people too, so they can lead a dignified life if they've worked hard, been honest, and fallen on hard times.
04:48There are enough rich and super rich.
04:51A 500-year-old village within the city that still holds together today.
04:56How could a project like the Fuggerei look like where you live?
05:04In our operations, in their operations as an area.
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