Lighthouses with Long Shadows: Former GDR District Towns Still Have Almost 50,000 More Inhabitants Today

The places that were surprisingly chosen as GDR district cities in 1952, such as Neubrandenburg and Suhl, still benefit from their former status today. The GDR concentrated not only administrative jobs but also industry in the capitals of the 14 districts. Smaller district towns grew to twice the population of towns formerly of similar size by the end of the GDR as a result, but did not become district towns. The lighthouse policy casts its shadow to the present day. Even 30 years after reunification, former district towns still have an average of almost 50,000 more inhabitants and are thus still twice as large as the towns that were left empty-handed in 1952.