2023-07-22 11:27:38
SEEN FROM ELSEWHERE – In the space of a few years, the Belgian city has gone from being a small town heavily affected by crime to that of a picturesque magnet for young families. How did the city achieve such a feat and what lessons can Germany learn from its history?
Par Florian Sädler (The World)
As if on command, the man from the city’s cleaning service sweeps the stairs that connect the platform to the arrivals hall. Outside, the sun is shining, and children are running in all directions. Welcome to Mechelen, a pretty city in Flanders – regarding 86,000 inhabitants, young families, ice cream parlors in quaint little brick houses.
Or rather: welcome to Mechelen 2.0. Because there are two versions of this small Belgian town – apart from the rest of its rich history, which dates back to the time of Charlemagne. There is indeed the Mechelen of today, which seamlessly combines the demography of Neukölln – around 140 nations represented, 50 percent of inhabitants of immigrant origin – and the look of a northern German seaside resort.
And then there is the Mechelen of the beginning of the millennium, a city that was then adrift. Back then, regardless of the negative statistics, you might bet with good odds…
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