GEWOFAG

GEWOFAG (Gemeinnützige Wohnungsfürsorge AG) was a Munich-based municipal housing company founded in June 1928 on the initiative of Karl Sebastian Preis, then head of Munich's housing and settlement department and an SPD city councillor. For nearly a century it was one of the largest landlords in Munich and one of the biggest municipal housing companies in Germany, with a portfolio of more than 36,000 apartments and commercial units in and around the city as of 2018. Its core tasks were new construction, letting, refurbishment and maintenance of the housing stock, complemented by social management and tenant services. The company was wholly owned by the City of Munich (Landeshauptstadt München). Its supervisory board was chaired by Munich's Third Mayor, Verena Dietl (SPD), who also held that role at the successor company. Through its subsidiary Heimag München GmbH, the GEWOFAG group employed around 600 people in Munich as of 2018, and its balance sheet total in 2020 was roughly EUR 2,793 million. Average rents were kept deliberately low: tenants paid on average about EUR 7.59 per square metre in 2020 for apartments from the GEWOFAG portfolio. GEWOFAG's buildings shaped neighbourhoods across every district of Munich, from interwar estates in Ramersdorf and Neuhausen to the large post-war urban extensions such as Hasenbergl and Neuperlach, and later the Messestadt Riem, Neufreimann and Freiham developments. The company ran five tenant centres (Ramersdorf, Giesing, Sendling/Laim, Neuhausen and Riem) plus an office in Taufkirchen, and offered advisory services, neighbourhood meeting points and mobile tenant support. Publicly subsidised units and 85 percent of its free-financed apartments were allocated through the city's "Soziales Wohnen online" (SOWON) platform. On 1 January 2024, GEWOFAG and GWG München were merged into a newly created municipal housing company, Münchner Wohnen, which today bundles the two former companies' competences and resources. The successor describes itself as Munich's largest landlord and one of Germany's largest municipal housing companies, with 74,861 residential units (including dormitory places and third-party management), 1,121 commercial units, 1,139 employees (2025 average), around 150,000 tenants and an average rent of EUR 8.16 as of 31 December 2025. GEWOFAG therefore no longer exists as an independent brand; its legacy continues within Münchner Wohnen.

GEWOFAG was founded in June 1928 as Gemeinnützige Wohnungsfürsorge AG, on the initiative of Karl Sebastian Preis, then head of Munich's housing and settlement department and an SPD city councillor. Under his leadership the company built around 11,000 new apartments in the following years, easing Munich's housing shortage. Preis regarded art in architecture as an essential part of the new estates and had frescoes and reliefs applied to building walls; the generous inner courtyards of the GEWOFAG founder estates were furnished with fountains and sculptures. The company's predecessor had already become Munich's largest builder early on, erecting 5,429 apartments before the First World War in the large estates of Neuharlaching, Neuramersdorf, Neuhausen, Walchenseeplatz and Friedenheim up to 1931, some of which are now listed as monuments. Key events in the following decades included: in 1948, on behalf of the American occupying forces, GEWOFAG began building the Ramersdorf-Süd settlement (the "Ami-Siedlung") with around 500 apartments for US forces and their families. From 1954 to 1967 the Max II estate with over 1,200 apartments was built on a former barracks site in Neuhausen. From 1959 to 1970 GEWOFAG built the Fürstenried and Forstenried estates with a total of over 1,300 rental and owner-occupied apartments. In 1968 the company's administration moved from Schackstraße in Schwabing to a newly built headquarters on Kirchseeoner Straße. From 1968 to 1973 the "Am Wald" estate with about 1,800 apartments was built in Taufkirchen. In 1987 construction began on the Westpark estate with over 500 apartments. By 1995 the GEWOFAG portfolio counted around 25,000 apartments. In 2001 construction started in Messestadt Riem, where GEWOFAG built around 1,300 apartments over the following years. In 2006 GEWOFAG acquired a stake in HEIMAG München GmbH and in 2008 a majority in HEIMAG Holding AG from GAGFAH. On 1 January 2010 GEWOFAG was converted into a holding wholly owned by the City of Munich plus five individual companies; previously the city had held 92.3 percent of GEWOFAG AG, which became the group company GEWOFAG Wohnen GmbH. In 2011 the social service provider Wohnforum GmbH became a 100 percent subsidiary. In 2012 a scientific project on the housing of the future began, researching energy consumption in residential buildings in the research houses in Messestadt Riem. In 2015, with the acquisition of the remaining 30 percent of HEIMAG shares, GEWOFAG became sole owner. In 2016, as a pilot project, GEWOFAG completed Munich's first parking deck overbuild after only one year of planning and construction; the project with 100 apartments was awarded the Deutscher Bauherrenpreis in 2018. In 2017 the strategic programme "Zurück zu den Wurzeln" (Back to the roots) was launched, aiming to build as much affordable, high-quality and aesthetic housing as possible, quickly and cost-effectively, following the example of founder Karl Preis. In 2018 GEWOFAG moved to its new location at Gustav-Heinemann-Ring 111 in Neuperlach. In March 2023 managing director Klaus-Michael Dengler was dismissed following an affair over an expert opinion; on 21 March 2023 Doris Zoller followed as sole managing director. Andreas Lehner, newly appointed chair of GEWOFAG management, submitted his resignation at the end of October 2023 after only one month in office. On 1 January 2024 GEWOFAG was merged into the newly founded company Münchner Wohnen together with GWG München. The successor company states that GWG München brings over 100 years of tradition and that GEWOFAG's history is almost as long. Münchner Wohnen today bundles competences and frees up resources to better master the challenges of a strained housing market and to strengthen social housing construction, feeling more than ever committed to the common good.

• 2024

  Merged into the newly founded Münchner Wohnen on 1 January together with GWG München.

• 2023

  Managing director Klaus-Michael Dengler dismissed in March; Doris Zoller became sole managing director on 21 March; Andreas Lehner resigned as chair of management in late October after one month.

• 2018

  Moved to the new location at Gustav-Heinemann-Ring 111 in Neuperlach; the parking deck overbuild won the Deutscher Bauherrenpreis.

• 2017

  Launched the strategic programme "Zurück zu den Wurzeln".

• 2016

  Completed Munich's first parking deck overbuild with 100 apartments as a pilot project.

• 2015

  Acquired the remaining 30 percent of HEIMAG shares, becoming sole owner.

• 2012

  Scientific project on the housing of the future began in the research houses in Messestadt Riem.

• 2011

  Social service provider Wohnforum GmbH became a 100% subsidiary.

• 2010

  Converted into a holding wholly owned by the City of Munich plus five individual companies on 1 January.

• 2008

  Acquired the majority in HEIMAG Holding AG from GAGFAH.

• 2006

  Acquired a stake in HEIMAG München GmbH.

• 2001

  Construction began in Messestadt Riem, where around 1,300 apartments were built in the following years.

• 1995

  Portfolio counted around 25,000 apartments.

• 1987

  Construction began on the Westpark estate with over 500 apartments.

• 1968

  Administration moved from Schackstraße in Schwabing to the new headquarters on Kirchseeoner Straße.

• 1968

  Construction of the "Am Wald" estate with about 1,800 apartments in Taufkirchen (completed 1973).

• 1959

  Construction of the Fürstenried and Forstenried estates with over 1,300 rental and owner-occupied apartments (completed 1970).

• 1954

  Construction of the Max II estate with over 1,200 apartments in Neuhausen (completed 1967).

• 1948

  On behalf of the American occupiers, began building the Ramersdorf-Süd settlement ("Ami-Siedlung") with around 500 apartments.

• 1931

  Predecessor had built 5,429 apartments in large estates such as Neuharlaching, Neuramersdorf, Neuhausen, Walchenseeplatz and Friedenheim, some now listed.

• 1928

  Founded in June as Gemeinnützige Wohnungsfürsorge AG on the initiative of Karl Sebastian Preis.

Munich's largest municipal landlord and one of Germany's largest municipal housing companies, dedicated to good, secure and affordable housing so that Munich remains a city for everyone.

• Social and affordable rental apartments

• Commercial units

• Dormitory places

• New residential construction and neighbourhood development

• Refurbishment and modernisation

• Property management for owners (Eigentumsverwaltung)

1. 1Damit München eine Stadt für alle bleibt - Münchner Wohnenmuenchner-wohnen.de
2. 2Mehr über uns - Unternehmen - Münchner Wohnenmuenchner-wohnen.de
3. 3Gestern & Heute - Mehr über uns - Unternehmen - Münchner Wohnenmuenchner-wohnen.de
4. 4Unser Netzwerk - Mehr über uns - Unternehmen - Münchner Wohnenmuenchner-wohnen.de
5. 5GEWOFAG - Wikidatawikidata.org
6. 6GEWOFAG - Wikipedia (German)de.wikipedia.org