Altenburg Local Custom Tips by Nemorino

German-Turkish Society

There are only 582 foreigners living in Altenburg, that's 1.6 % of the current population of 35,735.

Some of them have formed this society called the Deutsch -Türkischer Kultur und Schuldnerhilfeverein e.V. (German-Turkish Cultural and Debtors' Assistance Society). From the name of the society you can see where some of these foreigners come from and what one of their main problems is.

The society's website says it is concerned with "family integration, family assistance and also family development at a multicultural level, not only for 'Turkish families' but also for other families and children with integration problems."

Phone: 03447 892135

Website: http://www.dtksh.de/

Buildings under repair (or not) in Wettinerstraße

Photos:
1. Derelict buildings in Wettinerstraße
2. Another derelict villa across the street
3. For Sale sign on the old villa

The Wettinerstraße was no doubt a very impressive street in former times.

It leads from the railroad station (built in 1876) to the Lindenau Museum (also built 1876), and was lined with imposing villas built by well-to-do local families in the prosperous decades of the 1870s and 1880s.

Today many of these villas seem to be standing empty. Some are slowly being repaired (like the one on the left in the first photo), others not (like the one on the right).

Some of these villas now belong to the city housing authority, which is trying to sell them ("For Sale" sign in the third photo).

GPS 50°59'40.04" North; 12°26'37.57" East

Derelict buildings

Photos:
1. A derelict building in Pauritzer Straße
2. Two buildings across from the theater
3. What used to be an optician's shop

One effect of the decline in Altenburg's population is that the city has dozens or perhaps even hundreds of empty buildings in various states of disrepair. Some are boarded up, some are bricked up, some are quietly crumbling -- but some have been very nicely restored and renovated in recent years.

Often you can see a decrepit derelict building right next to a carefully renovated one, as in my second photo, which shows two buildings just across the street from the theater.

The third photo is a closer view of one of these buildings, showing what used to be an optician's shop. The word Nachruf on the door does not (in this case) mean that somebody has died, but is rather a protest about the demolition of a beloved old dance hall.

In my travelogue Side by side I have collected some more examples of derelict buildings next door to nicely renovated ones, or just across the street.

Don't give AIDS a chance, 2009 series

Photos:
1. Morning after in a student's pad
2. Morning after in a business hotel

On my Germany page I have several Local Customs tips on the "Don't give AIDS a chance" advertisements, especially the very clever 2004/2005 series.

In Altenburg I saw two new ones, from the 2009 "morning after" series. In the first we see a student's pad with a mattress on the floor, a skateboard and electronic keyboard propped up in the corner, CDs, loudspeakers, magazines, gym shoes (trainers), a bra and light summer dress on the floor.

In the middle there are two choices: Herz erobern (capture someone's heart) with a condom in the box, or Aids riskieren (risk getting Aids) with no condom.

In the second photo we are in a business hotel with crumpled white sheets on the bed, a white shirt, business suit and tie laid out on the bed along with the hotel room key. The two choices here are Konkakte knüpfen (establish contacts) with a condom in the box, or Aids riskieren (risk getting Aids) with no condom.

Website: http://www.machsmit.de/