00:00I never thought I'd come back and feel so at home.
00:03All this vacancy we're struggling with can, of course, be an opportunity.
00:08This is Saxony Anhalt, once part of communist East Germany.
00:13After the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, people left the state in droves,
00:18especially the young and well-educated.
00:21But recently, people started moving here again,
00:24often in search for community and affordable rents.
00:29Soon, the local Alternative for Germany party,
00:32which has been classified by the state-level domestic intelligence service
00:36as right-wing extremist group, could, for the first time ever in Germany,
00:40seize power in an upcoming regional election in the state.
00:44And some people are asking themselves if they really want to stay.
00:48I know people who really want to move away.
00:53That would actually break us.
00:59When Anja Reismann walks through Zeitz, she isn't alone for long.
01:03She knows almost everyone here in this small town.
01:09A brief conversation, a bit of advice, an arrangement to meet again later.
01:14Anja Reismann makes a point of reaching out to people.
01:19It's important to me that people feel at home in our town.
01:22It's important to me to maintain that kind of relationship with people.
01:26Anja was born and raised in Zeitz, but left the town as a young adult.
01:30Back then, I was too small and cramped for her.
01:33She lived in the Czech Republic in France and most recently near Munich.
01:37She herself never expected to return to Zeitz one day.
01:45If someone had told me when I was taking my high school graduation exams,
01:49you're going to live in Zeitz one day and you'll really love it here.
01:52I would never have believed it.
01:55I would have never thought that I'd come back and feel at home here.
01:59The city has changed.
02:00It feels like there are more people here now.
02:02People who are eager to do things.
02:05There's actually something going on every weekend.
02:09Anja also wanted to give back to society.
02:12She founded an organization that aims to bring people together.
02:16Every Monday afternoon, there's coffee, cookies and fruit.
02:20Everyone is welcome.
02:22I love these small moments that just happen.
02:26For example, an older gentleman was sitting next to a Zara from Afghanistan the other day
02:31and then they realized, oh, we live on the same street, we're neighbors.
02:35And she needed someone to help the kids with their homework a little.
02:38And he needed someone to help with grocery shopping.
02:41That's how they became friends.
02:43These are the little things that happen just because there's coffee and cookies on the table here.
02:49Moving to Zeitz, others have the same idea.
02:52In recent years, the town has seen more people moving in than out.
02:56Most of the newcomers are from other countries, such as Ukraine.
03:00And they are people originally from the area, like Anja.
03:04After the fall of the Iron Curtain, Zeitz experienced an unprecedented mass exodus.
03:10The local population dropped from 50,000 to around 27,000.
03:15Jobs were lost.
03:17The Zekiva Baby Stroller Factory, once the pride of the town, moved its operations abroad.
03:23A hydroprocessing plant, a major employer in the area, also closed.
03:28Zeitz is representative of Saxony-Anhalt as a whole.
03:32After 1990, the area lost nearly a quarter of its population.
03:37People moved to economically stronger regions, such as Bavaria or Baden-Württemberg.
03:43But the trend reversed.
03:45In recent years, more people have been moving to Saxony-Anhalt than leaving.
03:50There are significant reasons for this, says researcher Walter Bartel.
03:54For example, the influx of refugees and students who go to the state's universities.
04:02There is certainly some labor market-related immigration, precisely because there is a shortage of skilled workers.
04:10So due to higher emigration and the retirement trends we are seeing, there is a high demand for skilled workers.
04:17At the gatherings organized by Anja, long-time residents of Zeitz come together with newcomers.
04:23Many people here see the small town as an opportunity for a fresh start.
04:30When I started looking for an apartment and a suitable place to work, everything worked out right away.
04:36I've never felt as at home anywhere as I do in Zeitz.
04:40And because of my interests, I read and write a lot, I started a writing group here.
04:45I found this place as a free space and I've been running the writing group for two years now.
04:50I've also started a book circle where we discuss literature.
04:54And there's something else that attracts people.
04:57Vacant properties.
04:58This old Art Nouveau villa, for example, had been abandoned for 20 years when Thomas Haberkorn boarded.
05:04He also returned to his hometown of Zeitz.
05:08Here we were sort of pioneers from the very beginning.
05:11Just to show that all of this vacant space that we're actually struggling with can of course also be an
05:17opportunity.
05:18Readings and workshops are held here.
05:21And artists have rented space in the studios.
05:23At market rates much lower than in Berlin or other major German cities.
05:27Nevertheless, Thomas and Anja's hopes for the future are overshadowed by a political shift to the right in the region.
05:33According to opinion polls, the far right alternative for Germany party could soon form a single party local government.
05:41They see this as a threat.
05:46Ultimately, this would really be the final blow to all the personal commitment we've invested over the past 10 years
05:52in the town.
05:54And that really makes me angry.
05:56Because of course, positions will then be filled, funding will be cut, and so on and so forth.
06:01And just the effort and struggle to keep anything going at all takes up so much energy.
06:08I know people who really want to move away.
06:13Yes, people who say quite clearly, okay, if this is an AFD-led state, then I don't want to live
06:19here.
06:20There are people, especially from the immigrant community, who see career opportunities here.
06:25Maybe they even have a job offer.
06:27But they're really thinking hard about whether they should come to Saxony-Anhalt.
06:35This is not an isolated case.
06:37A scientific study shows that the shift to the right deters skilled workers in particular.
06:45Overall, there is an effect on immigration.
06:48Among highly skilled workers, you can see that they are avoiding this region.
06:54Thomas and Anja definitely want to stay in sites.
06:57Despite their frustration, they have noticed that the political climate is actually bringing people together.
07:03Those who are actively involved are now working even harder to make sites a better place to live.
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