""We ourselves were very surprised by the reach our Probewohnen (trial living) project has had, Julia Basan, the municipal economic development officer spearheading the campaign, told reporters on Thursday. She said those who had thrown their hat into the ring since May had the most wide-ranging motives including one foreign man who simply said he wanted to marry a German woman. But the majority were very realistic applications, Basan said.""
"Melanie Henniger, a 49-year-old IT consultant and self-described empty nester living in the north-western city of Bremen, said she grew up in nearby Frankfurt an der Oder and was interested in returning to her eastern roots. This is a great chance to get to know the region again, because otherwise I wouldn't have any opportunities at all as I don't know anyone there any more, she said. In the best case scenario, I can put down new roots there again."
Eisenhuttenstadt launched Probewohnen (trial living), offering a fortnight of free housing to attract residents and curb depopulation. The campaign drew more than 1,700 applications from around the world. Two German professionals won and will move into spacious furnished flats in the city centre in September with a red-carpet orientation programme. Applicants presented varied motives, from reconnecting with eastern roots to professional projects; one applicant stated a desire to marry a German woman. Winners include a 49-year-old IT consultant seeking to resettle and a 39-year-old filmmaker researching the city's living history. The city was founded after the second world war around a steel plant and is marking its 75th anniversary.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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