As of: April 2, 2024, 7:19 p.m
By: Manuel Rank
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Living for almost free: Around 150 people live in the oldest social housing estate in the world for a symbolic annual rent of less than one euro - with one condition.
Augsburg – The walls are painted dark orange; The deep green, opened shutters provide a view of the interior of the rooms. In autumn the bright maples climb the house walls. A fountain stands between the old buildings. At first glance, the settlement in the middle of the city center in Augsburg seems like a normal residential area - albeit particularly picturesque.
But the Fuggerei with its 67 houses and 142 apartments as well as its own church is surrounded by its own city wall with three gates, a “city within the city”. And another special feature: around 150 needy people live there and only pay a symbolic rent of less than one euro. However, there is one condition.
In 2021, the Fuggerei celebrated its 500th anniversary - making it the oldest social settlement in the world. The Fuggers, who still nickname the Swabian city of Augsburg “Fuggerstadt” today, were once among the richest merchant families in Europe and had built a global trading empire. In 1521, Jakob Fugger founded the social settlement.
88 cents a year and three prayers a day: Conditions for living in the Fuggerei
Needy people live in the terraced house settlement with the orange walls and pay an annual rent of 0.88 euros (formerly one Rhenish guilder) - and have been doing so for over five hundred years. But the symbolic, low rental price is tied to one condition: three prayers every day are part of the rental agreement. The Catholic residents must say the Lord's Prayer, a Creed and a Hail Mary once a day for the salvation of the Fugger family. To this day, the social settlement is also financed from Jakob Fugger's foundation assets.
A postman drives through the Fuggerei in Augsburg. © Stefan Puchner/dpa
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The history of the Fuggerei: Jakob Fugger built the social settlement to secure his reputation
At the beginning of the 16th century, the Fugger family company was at the peak of its success. However, there was increasing criticism of Jakob Fugger - probably the best-known representative of the trading family. The accusation: unfair business methods. In order to protect his reputation, the decision was made to build a social settlement in Augsburg: the Fuggerei. Jakob Fugger began to acquire land in 1514, construction began in 1516 and the entrepreneur founded the settlement on August 23, 1521. In 1523, seven years after construction began, there were already 52 houses with over 100 three-room apartments. The settlement was constantly expanded: first around Ochsengasse, then Herrengasse was extended towards Jakoberstrasse and finally St. Markus Church was built.
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The Fuggerei was often exposed to great danger, and it was unclear whether the social settlement would continue to exist. Augsburg lost over half of its residents due to the consequences of the Thirty Years' War, such as plague and famine, and in 1642 two houses in the social settlement were completely destroyed and 28 were only partially habitable. And even during the time of National Socialism there was a risk of losing independent administration. But the Fuggerei persisted – until today.
Above the main entrance, 500 years later, there is still a memory of the founders of the Fuggerei carved in stone in Latin:
1519. Ulrich, Georg and Jakob Fugger from Augsburg, biological brothers, firmly convinced that they were born to be the best in the city and that they owe their enormous fortune above all to the most high and all-good God, out of piety and as an example of special generosity 106 Apartments with buildings and furnishings are given, handed over and dedicated to those of their fellow citizens who are upright but stricken by poverty.
Saying above the main entrance to the Fuggerei
The Fuggers – a Swabian merchant family
The history of the Fuggers in Augsburg begins in 1367. Hans Fugger moved from Graben to the city in what is now Swabia. Initially owning a small weaving mill and trading in cotton, the Fuggers rose over three generations to become the leading merchant family in the imperial city of Augsburg.
Through his relationships with the Habsburg dynasty, Jakob Fugger the Rich (also called Jakob Fugger “of the Lily”) managed to go down in history as the most successful banker of his time by linking transactions with precious metals, goods and finance. At times the Fugger's trade relations extended from Italy to the Scandinavian countries and from Hungary to Spain. Jakob Fugger also set up the world's first private intelligence service, and the trading family allied with the nobility and lent money to princes, kings and emperors. Maximilian I, for example, was heavily in debt to the Fuggers.
Jakob Fugger died in 1525. By the time of his death, he had accumulated a fortune of over two million guilders - an unimaginable sum at the time. It is not without reason that Jakob Fugger is one of the richest people in history.
In the years that followed, the decline of the Fugger empire began little by little: the position and reputation of the trading family began to crumble - many people viewed the Fugger's huge fortune with suspicion. The Fuggers had also tied themselves too closely to the European nobility financially - and thus made themselves dependent on their fate. The insolvency of the Spanish royal family in 1557 initiated the slow decline of the Fuggers. After the devastation of the Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) and the associated economic consequences for the trading family, the Fuggers gradually withdrew from business life.
Sources: Fugger Foundation website, fuggerarchiv.de, Planet Wissen
Ursula von der Leyen: Fuggerei as a model for reconstruction in Ukraine
As part of the 500th anniversary celebration, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen visited the Fuggerei in May 2022. The CDU politician spoke out in favor of new Fuggeries in Ukraine. Von der Leyen sees the oldest social settlement in the world as a “great success story” that must be carried into the future and serves as a role model for Europe.
The EU Commission President praised the vision, willingness to take responsibility and courage of the citizens of Augsburg and the Fugger family. “The Fuggerei, which is now 500 years old, would not exist without the foresight, will and creative joy of the Fuggers. These buildings are entrepreneurial success cast in stone, but even more, evidence of corporate responsibility. They stand for social balance,” said von der Leyen in her speech in the Golden Hall of Augsburg City Hall in 2022.
Museum in the bunker commemorates the destruction of the Fuggerei in the Second World War
Four museums give visitors an insight into the history-rich social settlement and guide them through the world of the Fuggers. On the occasion of the 500th anniversary, three museums in the Fuggerei were redesigned in 2019 and 2022, as stated on the Fugger Foundation website.
Museum of History and Living at Mittlere Gasse 13 and 14
: From 1521 to 1944: Stations in the foundation's history and a Fuggerei journey through time with five resident families from five centuries.
Residents' Museum at Ochsengasse 46
: Insights, facts and opinions from the residents, employees and those responsible at the Fuggerei.
Museum of Everyday Life at Ochsengasse 47
: Change over time - living and leisure, worries, efforts and households in the post-war Fuggerei and the situation today.
Museum in the Bunker
: War and its consequences - exhibition and documentation on the destruction of the Fuggerei by an air raid in 1944 and the challenge of reconstruction.
Further information on the Fuggerei's opening times, entrance fees, guided tours and accessibility can be found on the Fugger Foundation's website.
Sources used: website of the Fugger Foundation, fuggerarchiv.de, Planet Wissen, dpa
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