Technology shows German town the way
Industry and well-trained staff keep populist sentiments at bay in some eastern cities
With higher unemployment rates than western Germany and support for the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party reaching 20 per cent, the country’s former communist east has often been associated with economic decline and xenophobia.
But some cities in eastern Germany have emerged as economic bright spots where populist politicians are finding it hard to gain ground.
Lighthouse of the region
Take the city of Jena
in Thuringia state — population 100,000, unemployment rate 6.5 per cent.
Long known as a “lighthouse” of the region, the city boasts a flourishing high-tech sector and a strong optical technology sector that even the communist years didn’t extinguish. Just a short walk from the colourful facades of the market square, a white building stands out, bearing the blue letters ‘Jenoptik’.
The company’s chief executive Michael Mertin, who employs 3,500 people, said: “The combination of high-tech, well-trained employees and internationalisation have certainly been a factor of success”.
All about the lens
The company traces its beginnings to the optical giant Carl Zeiss, part of which was nationalised during the communist era. Jenoptik grew out of the nationalised firm after German reunification in 1990.
Today, it makes and sells optic systems and laser equipment across the world.