Aging ‘Gun Town’ Fights for Its Future in Germany’s Bipolar Boom
- Thuringia’s Suhl has lost a quarter of residents since 2000
- Region’s demographic struggle a boon for far-right AfD party
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In the rolling green hills of Thuringia, Suhl exudes old-world charm with a picturesque center of fountains, pastel-painted buildings and churches dating as far back as the 15th century. But the city of 36,000 is being left behind as the rest of Germany powers ahead.
Known as “Gun Town” because of its long tradition in weapons manufacturing, Suhl has the unenviable distinction of being the most elderly place in Germany -- already one of the oldest countries in the world. The average age of the city’s residents has risen to 50, the only sizable German municipality to reach that milestone as young people flee for better prospects in urban centers such as Berlin, Munich and Frankfurt.