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Visit through the Fuggerei: The oldest social settlement in the world

Jakob Fugger the Rich founded the Fuggerei in 1521 as a social settlement for needy citizens of Augsburg. The annual rent (excluding heating) for an apartment is still the nominal value of one Rhine guilder (currently 0.88 euros)as well as three prayers per day for the founder and the Fugger family.

Presently 150 persons occupy 140 apartments in 67 buildings. The most prominent resident of the Fuggerei was the master builder Franz Mozart,the great-grandfather of the composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
The Fuggerei is the oldest social settlement in the world today. It is not only unique in age, but also in continuity: The social settlement is still financed exclusively through the endowment. And still today, the conception is considered exemplary. The Fuggerei is not only a shining example of architecture now as it also was in the past. The concept was already groundbreaking nearly 500 years ago: Jakob Fugger did not allow residents to become paupers, but rendered assistance for self-help. With this concept, the founder was much ahead of the demands made by Reformer Martin Luther and later Catholic social reformers.

A few houses still carry Gothic numbers and the picture is the House Number 4. Just take the 8 and cut it in half (8/2=4) … Easy ;-)

More info on www.fugger.de

To be followed…