Charming story about a village where time has stopped for a while and where rent is not subject to inflation. In a time where privacy is very far from a given and is being encroached upon from every direction, the founder's rationale for creating this low cost housing project is very interesting:
The estate's namesake is its founder, Jakob Fugger, a prominent Augsburg merchant and entrepreneur whose family name was synonymous with copper trading. While Fugger required his tenants to pray for him three times a day as a strategy to limit his own time in purgatory, he was also a pioneer in terms of creating affordable housing for the poor.
Astrid Gabler, the head of communications at the Fugger Foundation, said Fugger's idea of creating a space for impoverished citizens to get back on their feet was unusual for the time. "Fugger gave people the chance to have a right to privacy when they slipped into poverty," she said.
At the time, impoverished families were often split up and sent to workhouses. "Fugger kept families together," Gabler explained. "He believed that families that had their privacy had a better chance of getting back on their feet."
That got me thinking about the opportunity cost of losing privacy. In a over-crowded space, people can express themselves without reservation. To reflect, contemplate or even do nothing while surrounded by spectators is just about impossible. Climbing out of poverty or any kind of setback requires quiet, alone time to regroup emotionally and resume to the fight. This concept was so ahead of its time. Too bad, its not more widespread.
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