Gemeinnützige Baugesellschaft zu Hildesheim

The Gemeinnützige Baugesellschaft zu Hildesheim — today generally known as gbg Wohnungsbaugesellschaft Hildesheim AG, or simply gbg — is a German housing company headquartered in Hildesheim, Lower Saxony. It is the largest housing provider in the city, with more than 4,300 residential and commercial units in its portfolio. The company operates as a stock corporation (Aktiengesellschaft) whose sole shareholder is the City of Hildesheim, making it a municipally owned housing enterprise rather than a private developer. The origins of the company reach back to 1886, when industrialization and the Gründerzeit drew workers from rural areas into Hildesheim in search of employment. These economically weaker newcomers needed affordable and "healthy" workers' housing, and a group of committed Hildesheim citizens worked to establish a building society for this rapidly growing population. The founding act took place on 20 October 1892 in the Hildesheim town hall. Over the following decades the society built up a substantial stock of housing; by the time of the Second World War it reportedly owned 665 houses with 1,399 apartments. The air raids on Hildesheim on 22 March 1945 destroyed large parts of the city centre shortly before the end of the war. Reconstruction began soon after the war's end, and in 1949 the gbg invested four million marks in rebuilding, with roughly 50 topping-out ceremonies celebrated weekly. Early major projects were located near St. Andreas Church and the market square in the city centre. As the centre regained its shape, the city and its housing company expanded into the outer districts: around 4,500 people moved into new apartments in Drispenstedt in 1960, and by 1963 the gbg had completed several thousand units there in single- and multi-family houses. Building activity extended across several parts of the city, particularly in Ochtersum, which was incorporated in 1971. Today the company's activities go beyond its original core task of providing rental housing. A focus of its work is developing its housing stock toward barrier-free or at least barrier-reduced living. It also builds senior homes and a student dormitory, and carries out the refurbishment of public facilities such as the Theater für Niedersachsen and the local cinema. In addition to apartments — ranging from student flats to small and large units and service living for seniors — the gbg rents commercial properties, garages and parking spaces, offers real estate for sale, and provides condominium (WEG) management services. It also offers a customer portal online and as an app for managing tenancy matters. The company is led by a board (Vorstand) under Jens Mahnken, while the supervisory board (Aufsichtsrat) is chaired by the Lord Mayor of Hildesheim, Ingo Meyer. Its public mission, municipal ownership and broad service portfolio make it a central institution in Hildesheim's housing market.

The first efforts to found a housing company in Hildesheim date back to 1886, when people from rural areas moved to the city. During the Gründerzeit, people streamed into Hildesheim in search of work. This economically weak population group needed affordable and "healthy" workers' housing. Some committed Hildesheim citizens worked to found a building society for this rapidly growing population group. The founding act took place on 20 October 1892 in the town hall. During the air raids on Hildesheim, British and Canadian bomber formations destroyed large parts of the city centre on 22 March 1945, shortly before the end of the Second World War. Up to that point, according to the Hildesheimer Allgemeine Zeitung, the gbg had 665 houses with 1,399 apartments in its portfolio. In November 1945, of the former 23,000 apartments in the city, only 9,000 remained. In the post-war period, the surviving population partly lived in barracks and huts erected by the British occupation authority. Only after the currency reform in 1948 did the housing situation improve. Reconstruction was already underway shortly after the end of the war. In 1949, about 50 topping-out ceremonies were celebrated weekly. The first major construction projects of the gbg were located not far from St. Andreas Church and near the market square in the city centre. In 1949 the gbg invested four million marks. After the city centre had regained its first contours, the city, with the help of the housing company, also set about expanding the outer districts. In 1960, about 4,500 people moved into a new apartment in the Drispenstedt district. By 1963 the gbg had completed several thousand housing units there in single- and multi-family houses. Construction activity extended over several regions of the city, especially in Ochtersum, which was incorporated in 1971. Today the development of the housing stock toward barrier-free or at least barrier-reduced living is a focus of the company's activities. The construction of senior homes or a student dormitory is among the fields of activity that go beyond the original core task, as is the refurbishment of public facilities such as the Theater für Niedersachsen or the local cinema. The company is led by a board (Vorstand) under Jens Mahnken, while the supervisory board is chaired by Lord Mayor Ingo Meyer. A publication titled "zuhause bei der gbg" was issued for the company's 100th anniversary in 1992.

• 1992

  Publication "zuhause bei der gbg" issued for the company's 100th anniversary.

• 1971

  Ochtersum is incorporated and becomes a focus of gbg construction activity.

• 1963

  The gbg has completed several thousand housing units in Drispenstedt in single- and multi-family houses.

• 1960

  About 4,500 people move into new apartments in the Drispenstedt district.

• 1949

  About 50 topping-out ceremonies weekly; the gbg invests four million marks in construction.

• 1948

  Currency reform improves the housing situation; reconstruction is already underway.

• 1945

  Air raids on 22 March destroy large parts of Hildesheim's city centre; the gbg then had 665 houses with 1,399 apartments.

• 1892

  Founding act of the Gemeinnützige Baugesellschaft zu Hildesheim on 20 October in the town hall.

• 1886

  First efforts to found a housing company in Hildesheim, as workers moved to the city during the Gründerzeit.

The largest housing company in Hildesheim, municipally owned and focused on affordable, barrier-reduced housing and broad property services.

• Rental apartments

  From student flats to small and large apartments and service living for seniors.

• Commercial properties

  Commercial objects rented out by the gbg.

• Garages and parking spaces

  Garages and parking spaces offered for rent.

• Real estate for sale

  Properties offered for purchase.

• WEG management

  Condominium owners' association management services.

• Senior homes and student dormitory

  Construction of senior homes and a student dormitory beyond the core rental business.

• gbg customer portal

  Online and app portal for managing tenancy matters.

1. 1Herzlich willkommen bei der gbg - wohnen in Hildesheim | gbg - wohnen in Hildesheimgbg-hildesheim.de
2. 2Gemeinnützige Baugesellschaft zu Hildesheimwikidata.org
3. 3Gbg Wohnungsbaugesellschaft Hildesheimde.wikipedia.org