Gemeinschaftlich Wohnen eG is a housing cooperative founded in Wiesbaden in February 2003 by local residents seeking a less anonymous, more self-directed way of living in the city.23 Its Blücherstraße 17 project puts that aim into practice through a resident community with an intergenerational, socially and culturally mixed profile, and an emphasis on ecological living and shared responsibility.6
The cooperative acquired the property from the City of Wiesbaden in March 2005.28 The site is in the Westend district and comprises a front, middle and rear building in a dense inner-city quarter; the buildings date from 1905.68 Renovation and conversion work began in 2006. The property now contains 22 apartments: 10 in the front building and 12 created in the other buildings during refurbishment.48 Five apartments are publicly subsidised for residents on lower incomes.8
Shared spaces and facilities are an integral part of the project: ground-floor areas are reserved mainly for communal use, alongside some commercial space.9 The cooperative describes itself as a housing project rather than a conventional housing company. Residents are expected to join the cooperative, share a basic commitment to its aims and contribute to the project’s ongoing development and work.4 The cooperative’s website reports that all apartments are currently occupied and that it does not keep a waiting list.24
The project developer and property owner is Gemeinschaftlich Wohnen eG. Wiesbaden’s municipal project listing names Udo Schläfer as a member of the cooperative’s board.6 The cooperative is registered in Wiesbaden.5