Fuggerei

thumb|Herrengasse in the Fuggerei The Fuggerei is the world's oldest public housing complex still in use. It is a walled enclave within the city of Augsburg, Bavaria. It takes its name from the Fugger family and was founded in 1516 by Jakob Fugger the Younger (known as "Jakob Fugger the Rich") as a place where the needy citizens of Augsburg could be housed. By 1523, 52 houses had been built, and in the coming years the area expanded with various streets, small squares and a church. The gates were locked at night, so the Fuggerei was, in its own right, very similar to a small independent medieval town. It is still inhabited today, affording it the status of being the oldest public housing project in the world.

==Description== The rent was and still is one Rhenish gulden per year (equivalent to 0.88 euros (not adjusted for inflation)), as well as to make three daily prayers for the current owners of the  – the Lord's Prayer, Hail Mary, and the Nicene Creed – and to work a part-time job in the community. The conditions to live there remain the same as they were 500 years ago: one must have lived at least two years in Augsburg, be of the Catholic faith and have become indigent without debt. The five gates are still locked every day at 10 PM.