Consistencies and changes of the housing policy from the Weimar Repbulic to the Federal Republic of Germany.

The study deals with the German housing policies from the end of the German Empire until the initial years of the Federal Republic of Germany. The author analyses the conception of the housing policies in the long run as well as the impact of political change especially in the years 1918/19, 1933 and 1945/49 on the housing supply policy and housing construction policy.

First the author describes the core characteristics of the Weimar Republic period and the NS-era as well as of the first years of the Federal Republic of Germany until to the period of the housing policy’s deregulation by the ‘act of reduction’ (Abbaugesetz). Till 1959 the allocation of living space was regulated by the act of housing management (‘Wohnraumbewirtschaftungsgesetz’) according to personal and economic urgencies. The aim of the ‘act of reduction’ (Abbaugesetz) was the transfer of the German housing markets into the social market economy. This means the end of the price fixing for existing old dwellings, no more central allocation of living space, free right of cancellation for the lessors, etc. Then, a systematic discussion of continuities and changes follows.

The author uses statistical material of the Federal Statistical Office and of scientific publications for his analysis.

Time series in HISTAT
Time series data are collected to the following variables:
- marriages
- gross increase of dwellings
- increase of dwellings caused by new buildings
- net increase of dwellings per 10.000 inhabitants
- dwellings per 1000 inhabitants
- index of construction costs
- consumer price index