Resources, City Spotlights Weißenfels

City Spotlight: Weißenfels, Germany

The city of Weißenfels in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, has a population of 40,000. Its location along the Saale River has historically made it a crucial hub for trade and transportation, while the influx of migrants and refugees has introduced new entrepreneurial ventures and businesses.  

Weißenfels joined the Strong Cities Network in December 2023. Its Lord Mayor, Martin Papke, has participated in a number of Strong Cities transatlantic dialogues, including the ones in Berlin (Germany) (June 2023) and Washington, D.C. (United States) (Jan 2024).  

Categories:

City-led incident responseRefugee/Migrant Integration

What is the local government concerned about?

Like so many other cities around the globe, Weißenfels is seeking to mitigate the diverse impacts of global crises on its residents. Moreover, like so many other smaller municipalities, the city is eager to contribute to and benefit from discussions and activities focused on addressing these challenges at a local level. In an interview with a German news outlet, Lord Mayor Papke emphasised how cities like his “are experiencing a simultaneity of similar local challenges and tasks” and that it is important for “small towns and medium-sized centres” — with their diversity and different characters — to be provided opportunities “to compare strategies and solutions”. He stressed that these cities “can bring a wide variety of perspectives and perspectives to the big debates of our time”.

One of the key challenges Weißenfels faces is how to manage the high and fluctuating number of refugees and migrants in the city, driven by the ongoing war in Ukraine, particularly given the city’s limited history of migration. This sudden demographic shift presents challenges, including how to foster understanding and integration between the native population and the new arrivals and mitigate the risk that this shift leads to societal and social fragmentation between the long-time residents and Ukrainian refugees. This includes mitigating potential tensions and misunderstandings within and between the communities. There is a particular concern about the emergence of parallel societies, where new migrants form separate communities that operate independently from the broader society. Such parallel societies could hinder integration efforts and the overall cohesion of the community. 

How is the local government responding?

To promote a harmonious and inclusive environment, Weißenfels is dedicated to fostering integration, understanding and unity between the native population and the Ukrainian refugees. Their efforts aim to ensure that the city remains a welcoming and cohesive place for all its inhabitants.

Since February 2022, the city of Weißenfels has adopted a new approach to integrating newcomers which currently makes up 15 percent of its residents. This initiative, Weißenfelser Weg (Weißenfels Path), was established through a collaborative effort between the city council and the newly elected Lord Mayor Martin Papke. At the core of this initiative, is the close integration of various administrative components, aimed at guiding newcomers more effectively through the bureaucratic process. This inter-municipal cooperation represents a significant step in managing and supporting the city’s diverse demographic. Additionally, the initiative focuses on creating transparency in communication towards the city’s residents, thereby enhancing societal acceptance of the integration processes. 

The Weißenfels Path supports and integrates foreign families and individuals immediately upon their arrival in Weißenfels into the German system. For the first time, the City and the Burgenland District, each with different responsibilities, collaborate across disciplines. The Burgenland District is an intermediate level of government that operates between the state (Saxony-Anhalt) and municipal levels, responsible for overseeing and coordinating services like public health, social welfare and education across several municipalities. New structures and positions have been created for this cooperation. 

The Weißenfels Path consists of five organisational units:  

• Clearing Office 
• Outreach Social Work 
• School Team 
• Neustadt Office/Community Centre 
• Housing Inspection 

These organisational units have been fully operational since July 2022. Their employees collaborate closely and constantly exchange information. 

The Clearing Office, in collaboration with the Residents’ Registration Office, serves as the primary contact point for all newly arrived foreigners in Weißenfels. During the registration process, staff conduct an interview to collect information crucial for integration and municipal responsibilities. This includes determining whether individuals are arriving alone or with family, checking if school-aged children are enrolled in school and assessing the living conditions of newcomers. This information is used to ensure there are enough daycare spots, help ensure school attendance, evaluate the need for language courses and identify any unsuitable living situations. Additionally, the Clearing Office can direct individuals to advisory services, provide informational materials and offer details about various integration programs. 

The extended arm of the Clearing Office is Outreach Social Work. Beyond initial contact, this service aims to guide foreign residents by visiting them at home, based on voluntary participation. The Burgenland District is responsible for providing the social pedagogical staff. These staff members can offer on-site advice and support, ensuring older children are quickly integrated into the school system. Information on family structure and living conditions, initially collected by the Clearing Office, can be updated. The goal is to integrate families and individuals and improve their living conditions, with follow-up visits as needed. Any identified issues are reported to the relevant administrative areas. 

The School Team in Weißenfels ensures compliance with compulsory education laws. Administrative staff responsible for primary schools in Weißenfels and secondary schools in Burgenland District benefit from the new insights provided by the Weißenfels Path initiative. This enhanced information flow allows for quicker detection and resolution of school absenteeism. Additionally, the team focuses on supporting schools with a high proportion of foreign students, an effort that requires decisions at the state level. One key objective is to increase the involvement of kindergartens, as they play a crucial role in helping children learn the German language in an engaging way, thereby ensuring a smooth transition into formal schooling. 

Since its opening in 2018, the Neustadt Office has become a trusted place and an essential part of the Weißenfels Path. It offers consultations for the entire city population, addressing various concerns and referring individuals to specialised advisory services and network partners. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, it collaborated with associations, volunteers and institutions to offer recreational activities. These activities are set to foster intergenerational interactions and reduce prejudices. The Neustadt Office is working to transform into a district centre, aiming to enhance living conditions, connect stakeholders, facilitate dialogue and foster an actively engaged community. The ultimate goal is for the management of this district centre to transition to a private organisation, moving away from city administration oversight. 

Another component of the Weißenfels Path initiative is the Housing Inspection unit. This unit collaborates closely with the Clearing Office, Outreach Social Work and the Neustadt Office. Inspections are prompted by housing issues such as noise, waste, structural defects, overcrowding, or neglect. The primary goal is to enforce legal minimum housing standards by involving property owners and managers. To improve living conditions and address specific issues, authorities such as the youth welfare office, police, health department, trade office and building inspection are also engaged. Follow-up inspections are conducted to ensure the sustainability of the implemented measures, and registration data is meticulously cross-checked. 

On this point, Lord Mayor Papke stated that “It is important to develop neighbourhoods and cities together with the population and not to align everything with funding guidelines. It is much more important that people and their needs are reflected in urban development”. 

Ideally, the Weißenfels Path network aims to prevent disruptions within the community. By directly detecting legal and regulatory infractions, this strategy enhances living conditions and stabilises areas like Neustadt, empowering them to fully develop their potential. The initiative helps reduce social disadvantages, thereby helping to nurture a lively and engaged community spirit. The success of the Weißenfels Path depends on the ongoing, voluntary collaboration of both foreign and local residents.  

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