dBrief: The Fuggerei

On Wednesday morning we left Munich, stopping in the city of Augsburg along the way to see the "Fuggerei". It was fascinating and was my highlight of this trip. I took this information from "Wikipedia" which in this case, proved to be a very accurate source.

"The Fuggerei is a walled enclave within the city of Augsburg, Bavaria. It takes its name from the Fugger family and was founded in 1516 by Jacob Fugger the Younger (known as "Jacob Fugger the Rich") as a place where the needy citizens of Augsburg could be housed. By 1523, 52 houses had been built, and in the coming years the area expanded with various streets, small squares and a church. The gates were locked at night, so the Fuggerei was, in its own right, very similar to a small independent medieval town. It is still inhabited today, affording it the status of being the oldest social housing project in the world.

The rent was and is still one Rheinischer Gulden per year (equivalent to 0.88 Euros), as well as three daily prayers for the current owners of the Fuggerei - the Lord's Prayer, Hail Mary, and the Nicene Creed. The conditions to live there remain the same as they were 480 years ago: one must have lived at least two years in Augsburg, be of the Catholic faith and have become indigent without debt. The five gates are still locked every day at 10 PM.

The Fuggerei was first built between 1514 and 1523. Expanded further in 1880 and 1938, the Fuggerei today comprises 67 houses with 147 apartments, a well, and an administrative building. There is no shared accommodation; each family has its own apartment, which includes a kitchen, a parlour, a bedroom and a tiny spare room, altogether totalling about 60 square metres. Ground-floor apartments all have a small garden and garden shed, while upper-floor apartments have an attic. All apartments have modern conveniences such as television and running water. One ground-floor apartment is uninhabited, serving as a museum open to the public. The Fuggerei now houses senior citizens.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's great-grandfather, the mason Franz Mozart lived in the Fuggerei between 1681 and 1694, commemorated today by a stone plaque.

The Fuggerei was heavily damaged by the World War II bombings of Augsburg but has been rebuilt in its original style. The Fuggerei is still administered by members of the Fugger family."