Free trials in Eisenhüttenstadt: Your chance of the fresh start!

Free trials in Eisenhüttenstadt: Your chance of the fresh start!

in Eisenhüttenstadt, a small town near Berlin, opens an exciting project that offers people the opportunity to live free of charge from September 6th to 20th, 2025. The aim is to win new residents: in particular, especially specialists who have recently lost the city. The population has dropped dramatically - from once 50,000 to around 24,000. This trial could be the answer to the city's demographic challenges, where the number of inhabitants often stagnate or shrink outside of the metropolitan regions, as the Federal Institute for Building, Urban and Spatial Research (BBSR) determines.

The project entitled "Now make plans - tests in Eisenhüttenstadt" is aimed at people who already live in Germany or the EU and have a valid work permit. As the website now-pläne-schmieden-izb.de, the participation is bound to certain criteria. Applicants: Inside, seriously superior to move to the city permanently, and the documents have to be filled out in German. A language level of at least C1 is also required, which increases the requirements for those interested.

insights into the city and its companies

Participants: Inside, not only can you look forward to living for free, you also get insights into local companies and a varied leisure program. This could be particularly important for those interested in return, commuters: inside and self -employed, who are looking for a new living environment. The city has already carried out comparable projects, for example, a total of 100 applications were achieved in Guben, from which 16 selected trial parties were made.

A word of warning: This trial is not an immigration or visa program and does not offer visas or residence permits. It is strictly aimed at potential new citizens: inside that live in Germany and are allowed to work there. This means that even inquiries that move outside this frame are not taken into account. Despite the only two available furnished apartments, the project shows that Eisenhüttenstadt wants to play an active role in combating demographic change.

demographic challenges in Germany

In many regions of Germany, especially in structurally weaker areas such as parts of Saxony-Anhalt or Thuringia, the demographic trends show a worrying development. Municipalities with unfavorable demographic digits are often affected by a stagnating economic situation. This can also be observed in the case of Eisenhüttenstadt. According to BBSR, the challenge for many cities is the return of the population and the creation of new incentives for the based economy.

The trial life in Eisenhüttenstadt could be a first step in the right direction to promote urban redevelopment and the settlement of new citizens: inside. The application phase for this unique program runs until the beginning of July, and after the first round of applications, it could be clear how great the interest in this quite attractive project is. For everyone who is thinking about looking for a new home in Eisenhüttenstadt, this is the opportunity to experience the city up close.