Das Beste an Leipzig? Die Wohnstandortkampagne der Stadt Eilenburg in Nordsachsen

Abstract

As with many municipalities in former East Germany, the town of Eilenburg in Saxony was characterized by a declining population and selective migration for almost three decades after the german reunification. Given these circumstances the city administration undertook its campaign “favourite town Eilenburg – the best of Leipzig” between 2016 and 2020. The campaign’s overarching objective was to strengthen the town’s profile as an attractive residential location and thus increase the inbound-migration to Eilenburg in order to compensate the losses of the natural population change and to reduce the rate at which the town’s population profile is aging. However, in an interview with representatives of the city administration it became clear that the campaign is also part of a new approach of the town’s strategy of urban development. The purpose of this strategy is to benefit from the prosperity of the city of Leipzig by offering the best residential environment in its greater area. By means of narrative interviews with people who had recently moved to the area, it could be revealed that the campaign could not fulfill its primary purpose. Instead, an emotional bond with the town or existing social networks were much more important for the newcomers. Nevertheless, the campaign had a positive effect on the self-perception of residents and the interviewed newcomers. In the future in order to make a greater use of this potential the campaign is to be further developed and extended into broader city marketing that appeals to both newcomers and residents of the town.