Halle-Neustadt

Halle-Neustadt (popularly known as HaNeu, pronounced Ha-Noi) was a city in the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) . It was established as a new town on May 12, 1967, as an independent and autonomous city. The population in 1972 was 51,600 and in 1981 was more than 93,000. On May 6, 1990, Halle-Neustadt merged back into Halle again. The population has halved since then and was about 45,157 inhabitants on December 31, 2010. Halle Neustadt has been praised for being “sustainable” as a result of its urban planning, which includes high density living, a tram line serving the central corridor and the regional suburban rail system (S-Bahn).

The development itself extends east to west for approximately 2.5 miles and is approximately one-kilometer wide. Much of the housing is located within the international mass transit standard of 400 meters (1/4 mile) from a station on the core axis. Virtually all housing is high rise, with some towers reaching 11 floors. Medium rise buildings tend to have six floors without elevators.

Since the fall of Communism in the GDR and subsequent deconstruction of East German industry, the town has, like many other East German towns, suffered from population loss. There are a number of empty buildings, including high rise buildings, and even some that have been gutted. The city of Halle itself has lost a quarter of its population in barely 15 years --- and it appears that most of the exodus has come from Halle Neustadt. Residents have taken the opportunity to move to the city itself or to the suburban communities that ring Halle.

Some residential buildings are being redeveloped by the private sector. There is what appears to be a privately developed shopping center in the core, with a multistory parking garage and plenty of businesses. Parking lots are now provided adjacent to the remaining occupied apartment buildings. In the beginning, garages were provided on the eastern fringe of the development for those few privileged enough to have cars.

The actual history of the city began in 1958 with a conference of the Central Committee of the SED on "Chemistry Program of the GDR" at which the settlement of labor in the vicinity of chemical sites Buna - Schkopau and Leuna was decided. Following extensive site investigations and planning in the district of Halle, the Politburo of the SED decided on September 17, 1963, the construction of the "Chemical Workers' City," known by the inhabitants in short as Neustadt or " Ha-New ". The city was built at a greater distance from the chemical plants.

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Wikipedia