The history of the Meyer houses: lessons from necessity in Leipzig!

The history of the Meyer houses: lessons from necessity in Leipzig!

The so-called “Meyer Houses” play a prominent role in German housing construction history. In order to offer those in need affordable accommodation, Hermann Julius Meyer, a visionary publisher from Gotha, laid the foundation for a reform of rental housing construction in the late 19th century. As the Church newspaper reports, Meyer founded the “Association for the Construction of Cheap Housing” in Leipzig in 1888. His goal was to create affordable housing for low-income families and limit rents to around 15% of household income.

Conditions in the 19th century were catastrophic for the poorest sections of the population in cities like Berlin. The Alexandra Foundation set up here in 1852 with similar goals and thus laid the foundation for social housing. Hermann Meyer followed this path and created around 2,700 apartments in various residential colonies in Leipzig through his foundation until his death in 1909. Four such colonies were created between 1887 and 1937, located in Lindenau, Eutritzsch, Reudnitz and Kleinzschocher.

A pioneer of social housing

Meyer was not just a simple publisher, but also a socio-politically minded entrepreneur. With a total investment of seven million marks by the end of his life, he made a decisive contribution to the success of the foundation. As the Landscapes in Germany highlights, he worked closely with the architect Max Pommer, who designed the Meyer buildings.

The concept behind the Meyer houses was revolutionary: the tenants, mainly employees, craftsmen and factory workers, were able to afford living space that was not only affordable, but also above the standards of the time. With an average living space of 40 m², these apartments were designed to be more comfortable than the typical tenements of the time. Meyer also placed emphasis on residents' self-government and the creation of community facilities such as kindergartens and lending libraries.

The development of social housing in Germany

Social housing in Germany has experienced various ups and downs over the years. Like the website social-housing.de As explained, numerous laws were passed to promote social housing, starting with the Non-Profit Housing Act of 1940 and ending with the Housing Promotion Act of 2001. These laws had a significant influence on the creation of affordable housing and the support of non-profit housing companies.

Meyer’s vision continues today, influenced by foundations such as the Margarethe Krupp Foundation, which is considered the largest social housing foundation in Germany. It is a sign that the ideas that began here in Leipzig have proven themselves and developed further over the decades. The Meyer houses are therefore not only an architectural heritage, but also a symbol of social responsibility and community spirit in housing policy.

The memory of Hermann Julius Meyer lives on, not only through the impressive real estate that his legacy left behind, but also through the growing community that has developed from efforts to provide decent housing.