A 500-year-old social housing project: Fuggerei

The Fuggerei is located in the Bavarian city of Augsburg and is considered the oldest social housing project in the world. It was founded in 1521 by the wealthy merchant Jakob Fugger, and to this day it provides housing to Augsburg residents in need. The rental conditions have remained the same for the past 500 years: Rent is three daily prayers and 0.88€ ($1) a year.

On August 23, 1521, Jakob Fugger signed the Fuggerei into existence. The document laid forth the conditions under which the residents of the Fuggerei were to live: They had to be economically disadvantaged, residents of Augsburg, and Catholic.

The same rent that was established in 1521 still goes. Residents have to pay one Rhenish guilder, which is the equivalent to 88 cents today. In addition, three daily prayers for Fugger and his family are required. The low rent takes a great financial burden off residents' shoulders, allowing them to get back on their feet and develop themselves professionally and personally.

Part of living in the Fuggerei also includes giving back to the community in some way. That can include helping out with gardening work, contributing to the upkeep of homes and buildings, and helping out as a night guard or checking tourists' tickets at the front gate.

When Jakob Fugger conceived the Fuggerei, his concept was radical for the 16th century. At the time, impoverished families were usually split up, with parents going to gender-segregated workhouses and children ending up in orphanages. Fugger believed that keeping families together and giving them their own space would help them get back on their feet quicker.

The Fuggerei has changed quite a bit since its creation in 1521. More apartments were added throughout the years, as well as a gift shop and museum for the growing number of tourists who visit each year. 

In 1943, an air-raid bunker was built in the garden of the Fuggerei to protect residents from bombings. Almost 70% of the Fuggerei was destroyed in the Second World War, and the following decades were marked by reconstruction and renovation. Many widows and women found refuge in the Fuggerei in the postwar years.

Although the average residents of the Fuggerei have usually been older pensioners, the estate takes in people from all walks of life. Single parents in need of a break, young adults just starting off in life, and middle-aged couples looking for some peace and quiet are all part of the Fuggerei's community.

Currently, about 150 people live in the Fuggerei, spread out across 140 apartments. As it concludes its 500th anniversary year, the Fuggerei is looking towards the future, and promoting its concept as a model for local, community-oriented and sustainable social housing projects worldwide.