Who owns Connewitz?

Who exactly am I paying my rent to? And who owns the flat I live in? These questions are not at all easy to answer in Germany, even though they clearly play a major role in meeting the basic need for housing. And increasingly, the answer involves listed companies such as Vonovia, or other players in the capital and financial markets whose primary concern is profit maximisation. This is also evident in Leipzig and the Connewitz district: rents are rising, the social makeup of the neighbourhood is changing, and luxury new-builds are springing up on many corners.

The research project ‘Who owns Connewitz?’ takes this situation as its starting point. It aims to bring greater transparency to the ownership structures in the neighbourhood and to find out how different types of landlords treat their tenants. It also explores how living conditions for residents can be improved and how they can be brought together.

These challenges are being addressed using a variety of methods: a detailed mapping of selected properties in Connewitz, over 70 interviews with local residents, and workshops on collective mapping have already been carried out. More of these are set to follow in the course of 2022; we are also conducting interviews with representatives of the property sector, a quantitative survey of tenants, and an analysis of statistical data.

The team currently consists of Prof. Dr Michael Janoschka (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology), Dr Alejandro Armas-Díaz (University of Leipzig) and Dennis Hof (Federal Institute for Research on Building, Urban Affairs and Spatial Development), with student support from Lea Schirbel, Marius Strohdiek, Julie Kauke and Sophie Tempelhoff from the University of Leipzig.

If you have any questions or comments, please contact us at michael janoschka∂kit edu.