Financial TimesFinancial Times

The surprising revival of eastern Germany

By Guy Chazan and Joe Miller

28 Jun 2022 · 11 min read

Editor's Note

The former communist east of Germany used to stand for relative poverty and underdevelopment. But the arrival of the electric car industry has breathed new life into the region. The FT dives deep.

Ten years ago, the small east German town of Guben was so desperate for new investors it was prepared to give them land for free.

“Now I have no free space,” says mayor Fred Mahro.

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