For many years, the rule for students and young professionals from the countryside or small towns was: get out of the children’s room and into a student dormitory or a shared apartment in a large city for the new phase of life after school.

However, the corona pandemic put the brakes on everything last year. In view of digital lectures, the move was postponed. Other job-related moves were also lower – in times of pandemic-related short-time work and uncertain future prospects, job and location changes are rare. This is also reflected in the figures published by the federal statistical office on thursday: there were declines in 2020 both in moves within germany – so-called internal migration – and in moves to and from abroad.

Cities do not continue to grow

At the end of last year, almost 24.5 million people in germany lived in cities with more than 100 inhabitants.000 inhabitants. This was around 29.4 percent of the total population of. The 0.7 percent annual growth in the city’s population recorded since 2011 did not continue. In the corona year 2020, there were about 855 net migrants from abroad in the area of internal migration.000 new students and 965 000 new students. In the previous year, there were 933.000 new employees compared with 993 000 who left.

The number of immigrants from abroad was around 452.000 and the number of emigrations to foreign countries at 361.000. In the previous year, the independent cities reported a total of 620 new registrations.000 inflows and 472.000 emigrants. Net immigration from abroad thus fell from 148.000 in 2019 to around 91.000 in 2020. The national average net immigration also fell significantly (-33 percent) due to the corona pandemic in 2020 ? However, the drop in the number of young people living in independent cities was even greater, at 38 percent.

The change is particularly pronounced in certain age groups. Thus, in the case of internal migration, the influx of 18- to 22-year-olds in particular, i.E. Young adults at the typical age of training and starting university, into the metropolitan area decreased. Are these figures due to the pandemic or is city life losing its appeal in the long term – particularly in connection with the change in working environments toward more mobile working??

Population researchers are not yet in agreement, says urban sociologist dieter rink from the helmholtz center for environmental research in leipzig. "We assume that the influx into the cities will no longer be as strong."This is not only due to the fact that many employees can do their work just as well from a home office as from a city office and live in the country without long commuting times. Another important argument is the high rent and house prices in the cities, says rink. "Prices also rose during the pandemic." This could also be an argument against the city in the future.

Cities attractive for young people

But cities remain attractive, especially for young people, says rink. "They want to go out, enjoy the leisure activities, get to know people of the same age. Ten or 15 years later, there will be other priorities again."For young families, the surroundings of the city will then become attractive, so that their children can grow up with plenty of green and clean air, safely and with little traffic. "Typically, it is families and couples who move into the surrounding area."In the large cities, however, a strong "singeing" with a high portion of one-person-households is noticeable.

According to the federal statistical office, demographic aspects must also be taken into account when considering whether 2020 will be an exceptional year and whether the major cities will grow again in the future. Demographic change means that the group of 18- to 22-year-olds who are moving most strongly into cities is becoming smaller and smaller. In 2020, the number of young people between the ages of 18 and 29 increased by 261.000 – while the population as a whole remained almost constant. In view of the demographic change, the key question for the population growth of the city was how immigration from abroad would develop in the coming years.

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Only a little more money in the wallet, but secure jobs: a new collective agreement has been agreed for german railroad employees in the corona crisis. Wages and salaries at the highly indebted group will then rise by 1.5 percent at the beginning of 2022.

Until the end of the term at the end of february 2023, redundancies for operational reasons are ruled out, as the rail and transport union (EVG) and the group announced on friday. They spoke of a contribution to coping with and protecting against the corona crisis.

The railroad employs almost 215 people in germany.000 employees. In the past collective bargaining rounds, they were able to enjoy significantly higher income increases in some cases. But the corona crisis hit hard: a loss of billions of euros is expected this year.

Unlike the german locomotive workers’ union (GDL), the EVG had therefore agreed to bring forward the collective bargaining negotiations. "It’s not about wanting more. It’s about taking responsibility in difficult times," said EVG deputy chairman klaus dieter-hommel. Incomes increased moderately but steadily.

The losses due to the pandemic could thus be mitigated, the railroad announced. Chief human resources officer martin seiler said: "this gives us room to move forward on future issues."

This is how the recruitment drive is to continue. After 25.000 this year, the next two years will each see an increase of 18.000 new people to be hired. After deducting the number of employees, the workforce would grow by about 2,000 in both 2021 and 2022. The personnel issue was the red line in the collective bargaining negotiations, the EVG said. She spoke of a success.

Should there be a second wave of the epidemic with contact and exit restrictions in germany, a "corona package" will apply to employees in the future. According to the EVG, they will be able to stay at home for up to 50 days to care for children and up to 20 days to care for relatives.

A "mobilitat&" fund is also new work" with 25 million euros a year. In view of rising rents and longer commutes, employees are to be able to apply for assistance. Allowances have also been agreed for employees who train new colleagues. For the 6,000 bus employees of the railroad, wages will rise by 2.6 percent in 2021 and by 1.5 percent in 2022. They also receive a one-time payment of 1000 euros.

In return for government aid, the railroad had promised to gradually cut personnel costs by around two billion euros by 2024. After passenger numbers plummeted in march, the federal government pledged five billion euros in additional equity capital.

The previous collective bargaining agreements at the railroad company are still valid until the end of february. The german locomotive workers’ union had rejected early negotiations. It does not see sufficient justification why the staff should make a savings contribution. Hommel accused the GDL of harming the employees in this way. Seiler emphasized that the railroad is still willing to negotiate.

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The coronavirus does not like the usual spectacle. But at least the DDM reopened on whit saturday after a week-long break. Those responsible had prepared intensively for the reopening and had worked out guidelines to protect the 500 or so visitors. It was particularly pleasing that after a break of around three years, the miniature railroad was finally able to make its rounds in the open countryside again, as the rail network had been fundamentally renovated as part of the museum development concept. Free rides were offered to the visitors, which caused great joy especially among the smallest railroad enthusiasts.

What triggered a huge aha effect among the visitors right from the start in the new entrance building was the running gear of the 012 080-8 express locomotive, which was placed on a rail in the original and also started to move. District president henry schramm (CSU), who together with district administrator klaus peter sollner () and mayor alexander wunderlich (CSU) was among the first visitors, said: "it really is a great new entrance area, and with the lauerk, visitors can see very clearly how a steam locomotive works." Millions have been spent on the new entrance area alone; the redesign is intended to help make the museum more attractive.

District administrator klaus peter sollner thanked the foundation of german railroads for making the lauerk available on permanent loan. Mayor alexander wunderlich was pleased that the steam locomotive museum was able to open its doors again after the corona-related closure: "we are glad that it is now gradually becoming possible to view and admire our museum again."

Among the visitors was sven schuhmann from lauf an der pegnitz, an outspoken fan of steam locomotives, and his six-year-old son florian, who is also a railfan. "It is of course a great pity that the whitsun steam days will not take place this year, but it is great that the small steam train is running again. The new entrance building is very successful", he said.

With taimo fromel from munchberg and tobias eberhardt from fichtelberg, two members of the munchberg railroad friends were among the visitors who know the DDM inside out from the annual model railroad exhibition. Taimo fromel: "i was particularly interested in the extent to which the museum development concept has already been implemented." He had liked to see the new entrance building integrated into the railroad feeling with the reddish brick construction, but as far as the interior was concerned, he was full of praise. Tobias eberhardt also expressed his satisfaction with the concrete construction in the entrance area: "but it’s great inside, even with the lauerk, I like it a lot."

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The corona crisis could keep the country busy for another two years. Udo schonfelder (candidate for mayor of bamberg and the bureau of public affairs) is based on this assessment by the robert koch institute

Chairman of the CSU parliamentary group) and his city council colleague karl-heinz fleckenstein (CSU) in their letter to mayor uwe kirschstein (SPD). In their letter, the two CSU local politicians argue that forchheim must be prepared for a scenario like the one that is taking place in many italian cities.

In order to have sufficient hospital beds for emergencies, schonfelder and fleckenstein suggest not only relying on the capacities of the hospitals in forchheim and ebermannstadt. "If you don’t want to have conditions like in italy, where tents have to be erected, you need buildings within which people can be treated", says schonfelder. And points to the old jahnhalle, which is heatable and has sanitary facilities, and smaller rooms for personnel.

Therefore, schonfelder/fleckenstein made the request to "negotiate" with the owner of the jahnhalle, so that the demolition of the hall planned for this year will be suspended. Then "a makeshift hospital would be available for the most extreme emergency".

The investor, who will build residential buildings on the old jahn site, will be able to "build on other parts of the rough land" start construction. As fleckenstein points out, "this is purely a precautionary inspection", because according to official figures, one must be "prepared for a possible scenario". Providing for the people of hamburg in the corona crisis must be a top priority, the two CSU councillors emphasize.

In his letter of reply to the "dear colleagues schonfelder and fleckenstein" mayor uwe kirschstein (SPD) expresses his thanks for the "very good proposals. The "conversion of the jahnhalle into an interim hospital" is "a worthwhile approach", kirschstein also thinks. Reminds however: since the bavarian minister-president as well known the country-wide disaster case proclaimed, the "handlungsfuhrung" lies with the disaster control authorities. However, as a municipality belonging to the county, the coarse county town is not a disaster control authority. The conditions have been clearly clarified.

OB may not decide

In the "general crisis situation" topics, "medical questions and "economic support" as mayor, he has no say in the matter, uwe kirschstein emphasizes: "that means in concrete terms, and landrat ulm makes this explicitly clear, that i am not allowed to talk about these issues, nor are we allowed to make any public declarations. We take the description of the current situation from the daily press and the online media."

Nevertheless, according to kirschstein, "questions about economic support services for our entrepreneurs are piling up". He had already met with businessmen and women.

From the business side, mayor kirschstein had been asked to suspend trade tax prepayments so that liquidity could be maintained in the companies; a suggestion that schonfelder and fleckenstein had also made to kirschstein.

Budget planning changed

This proposal, emphasizes lord mayor kirschstein, has already been included in the budget planning: "on thursday, 19. Marz, that’s why I’m working with chamberlain detlef winkler", kirschstein says in a press release. How the city’s entrepreneurs could also be supported is still being discussed within the administration.

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