Trial Living Project in Görlitz Comes to an End — What the Researchers Say

Many did not need to be convinced through trial living arrangements

Participants in the trial living program are surveyed in several waves. In discussion sessions, they also meet with representatives from the city, civil society, and the housing industry. The goal is to formulate concrete recommendations for action by the end of the year, for example, for city administration, urban development, or state policy. It is therefore still too early to draw conclusions, according to research director Heer.

One thing is already clear, however: Finding housing in Görlitz is not a challenge. “What’s more interesting are structural factors—public services, schools, doctors—and local public transportation is also an issue that has frequently been raised.”

It’s also clear that: Many of the approximately 115 people from 16 countries now working for the DZA did not need a trial stay to be convinced. This is especially true for those who moved to Lusatia from far away and had neither preconceived notions nor stereotypes about the region beforehand. Instead, for them, it was a unique opportunity to be part of building a research institute with international standards from the very beginning.

Trial living in Görlitz has been in place since 2008

Trial living is not a new tool in Görlitz. In the past, the city has repeatedly used similar scientifically supported projects to attract people willing to relocate and those returning to the area—in some cases, the efforts specifically targeted city dwellers and the creative industries, while in others, the focus was on convincing retirees to spend their retirement in the city on the Neisse River. As early as 2008, families were able to live temporarily rent-free in Wilhelminian-style apartments for the first time.

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