Elsterwerda ends historic Altstadt renovation, while Braunschweig reports mixed downtown vacancy trends

The city of Elsterwerda formally dissolved its "Altstadt" historic‑centre redevelopment district on 21 December 2023, ending a programme that invested roughly €12 million in building‑stock renewal. The municipality will now issue notices to property owners to collect compensation for the increase in land value caused by the former renewal measures.

In Braunschweig, a systematic survey by Braunschweig Zukunft GmbH recorded about 100 vacant retail premises around the turn of 2025/26, but also more than 45 newly opened cafés, restaurants and shops. The near‑equal number of closures and openings, combined with unchanged foot‑traffic patterns, leads officials to describe the downtown situation as mixed rather than a clear decline.