Founded in 1898 the Baugenossenschaft Leipzig eG is Saxony’s oldest housing cooperative. It began as the Bauverein zur Beschaffung preiswerther Wohnungen a society dedicated to providing affordable housing. Their first office opened in 1899 on Elsterstrasse 63. A savings bank was added the same year mirroring the Hannover model.
The Baugenossenschaft Leipzig eG didn’t just build homes. They built communities. Their early projects in Kleinzschocher and Sellerhausen laid the groundwork for their future success. By 1908 they owned 70 houses with 614 apartments housing 2590 tenants. This was remarkable growth. This remarkable growth was fueled by the cooperative’s own savings bank. In 1905 their savings allowed them to buy land in Schönefeld enough for approximately 200 houses.
World War I halted construction. The economic crisis of the 1930s brought unexpected innovation. Laundries were established in some buildings. The income generated helped fund improvements and buy household appliances. By 1927 they owned 278 properties with 2450 apartments and land for another 300 houses. A notable project was the “Ledigen- und Berufstätigenheim” in Connewitz. Completed in 1931 this building for single professionals boasted central heating running hot and cold water an elevator and even a garbage chute a marvel of modern design for the time.
Under the Nazis the cooperative’s self-governance was ended. The focus shifted to smaller “Volkswohnungen” (people’s apartments) measuring 34 to 42 square meters. They also built entire housing complexes for specific companies like the Gießerei Meier & Weichelt foundry. A new aspect was building homes for resale not just rental.
After World War II 51 buildings with 522 apartments were completely destroyed. 1851 apartments were severely damaged about 60% of their total housing stock. Reconstruction became their top priority. More than 1000 apartments were restored or repaired.
In 1957 the Bauverein was transformed into a “socialist cooperative”. It was renamed Baugenossenschaft zur Beschaffung preiswerter Wohnungen in Leipzig in 1959. This marked the beginning of a series of mergers. Several Leipzig and surrounding area housing cooperatives joined forces. By 1967 the Baugenossenschaft Leipzig managed over 8830 apartments.
Further mergers in 1977 formed the Arbeiterwohnungsbaugenossenschaft Alfred Frank. Alfred Frank an artist and communist had been a member of the Bauverein in the 1920s and 1930s. He was executed in January 1945. The AWG built 3157 apartments until 1989 many in the Plattenbau (prefabricated panel building) area of Grünau.
The fall of the Berlin Wall brought significant changes. In 1989 a committee was formed to plan the cooperative’s future. It decided to revert to the name Baugenossenschaft Leipzig eG. A massive renovation of existing housing stock was undertaken alongside a renewed focus on its members. Between 1991 and 1997 11241 apartments in 1290 buildings were partially renovated. The last laundries operated by the cooperative closed in 1992. Some housing complexes with high vacancy rates were sold in 2005. In 2008 about 540 apartments in Grünau were demolished. A citizens’ initiative formed to oppose further planned demolitions.
The Baugenossenschaft Leipzig eG stands as a testament to cooperative living. It has adapted to changing times while maintaining its commitment to affordable housing for Leipzig’s residents.