Visiting "The Fuggerei", the oldest still existing social welfare housing comunity of the world, Est. 1521

Yesterday i vistied "The Fuggerei" in Augsburg, its the oldest and still existing social welfare housing community eytblished. Jakob Fugger "a.k.a. The Wealthy" founded the Fuggerei in 1521 for needy citizens of Augsburg. anual rent for an apartment is still the nominal value of 1 Rhine guilder (approx. 1 USD) as well as three prayers per day for the founder and the Fugger family. Presently the 150 persons occupy 140 apartments in 67 buildings. The most prominent resident was the master builder Franz Mozart, the great-grandfather of the composter Wolgang Amadeus Mozart.

The Main Entrance to the housing area.

The Fuggerei is the oldest social welfare settlement even today. Its not only unique in age but also in continuity. And still today the concept is considered exemplary. Jakob fugger did not allow residents to become paupers, but gave assistance for self-help.

The stone portrayels of the lily coat of arms are reminders of the founding family.

The lilly coat of arms was oresented to the Fuggers in 1473 as an offering of thanks for the financing of the marriage of Maximilian I son of emperor Friedrich III. Throm that time on, the Fuggers called themselfs "The Fuggers from the Lily".

The Fuggerei is a shiny exaple of architecture both present and in the past.

The Fuggerei is a "Citty in a city" with its own church, city gates and city walls.

Bronze bust memorial for Jakob Fugger "The Wealthy" A person with modern ideas about social welfare regarding "help for self-help"

Entrance to the air-raid shelter build in WW2. The Fuggerei was heavily bombed because Augburg had a weapon industry, e.g. MAN Engines and the famous fighter plane production site for the Messerschmitt

The first victim of the witch hunt in Augburg was Dorothea Brau. She lived in the upper right level of the gatehouse.
She worked as a caregiver in the Fuggerei infirmary and was accused of sorcery by her 11 year old daughter. Eventually she was beheaded and burned.

The entrance bell for each apartment. each apartment had a individual bell so in the night people didnt geht lost and could manually sense the form of the bell.

Oversee trade routes of the Fugger family business. The accumulated unimaginable wealth and hence influence and power in all over the world.

A restored apartment as of 1530 to give the people nowadys an idea hoch the apartments looked like.

Nowadys the apartments look modern of course, but are not luxurious.

Nowadys to qualify for an aprtment you have to be citizen of augsburg since 3 yrs, catholic in your confession and need to proof that you are "needy", a comitee and a board (in which 2 of the fugger family members which still exists today) will review your application. Waiting time is about 3-5 years.

I hope you enjoyed my post. Should you be around Augburg (30 min by train from Munich9, this is a must-see.