May Cities in De-Industrialized Regions Become Hot Spots for Attracting Cultural Businesses? The Case of Media Industry in Halle an der Saale (Germany)
Christoph Hornych, Martin T. W. Rosenfeld
European Planning Studies,
2010
Abstract
Policy-makers from many regions where old industrial structures in the field of manufacturing have collapsed are trying to stimulate entrepreneurial activities of businesses in the cultural industry. The question is whether this strategy could be successful. This article examines the strategy of supporting the sector of media industry (“MI”) by policy-makers in the region of Halle in East Germany, where a strong de-industrialization has taken place after the German reunification. Stimulated by the policy-makers' support measures, there actually was a remarkable development of MI. However, the number of MI firms and their employees did not further increase in recent years, after having reached a certain level. This illustrates the limits of political measures for turning a city's path of industrial development voluntarily.
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What Happened to the East German Housing Market? – A Historical Perspective on the Role of Public Funding –
Claus Michelsen, Dominik Weiß
IWH Discussion Papers,
No. 20,
2009
Abstract
The paper analyses the development of the East German housing market after the reunification of the former German Democratic Republic and the Federal Republic of Germany in 1990. We analyse the dynamics of the East German housing market within the framework of the well-known stock-flow model, proposed by DiPasquale and Wheaton. We show that the today observable disequilibrium to a large extend is caused by post-unification housing policy and its strong fiscal incentives to invest into the housing stock. Moreover, in line with the stylized empirical facts, we show that ‘hidden reserves’ of the housing market were reactivated since the economy of East Germany became market organized. Since initial undersupply was overcome faster than politicians expected, the implemented fiscal stimuli were too strong. In contrast to the widespread opinion that outward migration caused the observable vacancies, this paper shows that not weakness of demand but supply side policies caused the observable disequilibrium.
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Openness and Growth: The Long Shadow of the Berlin Wall
Claudia M. Buch, Farid Toubal
Journal of Macroeconomics,
No. 3,
2009
Abstract
The question whether international openness causes higher domestic growth has been subject to intense discussions in the empirical growth literature. This paper addresses the issue in the context of the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. We analyze whether the slow convergence in per capita incomes between East and West Germany and the lower international openness of East Germany are linked. We address the endogeneity of openness by adapting the methodology proposed by Frankel and Romer (1999) to a panel framework. We instrument openness with time-invariant exogenous geographic variables and time-varying exogenous policy variables. We also distinguish the impact of different channels of integration. Our paper has three main findings. First, geographic variables have a significant impact on regional openness. Second, controlling for geography, East German states are less integrated into international markets along all dimensions of integration considered. Third, the degree of openness for trade has a positive impact on regional income per capita.
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Keeping the Bubble Alive! The Effects of Urban Renewal and Demolition Subsidies in the East German Housing Market
Dominik Weiß
IWH Discussion Papers,
No. 11,
2009
Abstract
German urban renewal programs are favoring the cities in the Eastern part since the re-unification in 1990. This was accompanied additionally by attractive tax incentives, designed as an accelerated declining balance method of depreciation for housing investments during the late 1990s. The accumulated needs for comfortable housing after 40 years of a disastrous housing policy of the GDR era were generally accepted as justification for the subvention policy. But various subsidies and tax incentives caused a construction boom, false allocations, and a price bubble in Eastern Germany. After recognizing that the expansion of housing supply was not in line with the demographic development and that high vacancy rates were jeopardizing housing companies and their financial backers, policy changed in 2001. Up to now, the government provides demolition grants to reduce the vast oversupply. By means of a real option approach, it is ex-plained how different available forms of subsidies and economic incentives for landlords lift real estate values. The option value representing growth expectations and opportunities is calculated as an observable market value less an estimated fundamental value. Empirical results disclose higher option premiums for cities in Eastern Germany and a strong correlation of the option premium with urban renewal spending.
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Is There a Way for Old Industrial Districts to Become Attractive for Cultural Industry? The Case of Media Businesses in Halle (Saale), Germany
Martin T. W. Rosenfeld, Christoph Hornych
IWH Discussion Papers,
No. 15,
2008
Abstract
manufacturing have collapsed are trying to stimulate entrepreneurial activities of businesses in the cultural industry. The question is whether this strategy could be successful. This article examines the strategy of supporting the sector of Media Industry (´MI´) by policy makers in the region of Halle in East Germany, where a strong de-industrialization has taken place after the German reunification. Stimulated by the policy makers’ support measures, there actually was a remarkable development of MI. However, the number of MI firms and their employees did not further increase in recent years, after having reached a certain level. This illustrates the limits of political measures for turning a city’s path of industrial development voluntarily.
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The German Reunification Revisited: First Insights From a Tax-Cultural Perspective
Birger Nerré, Carsten Pallas
Externe Publikationen,
2005
Abstract
Die Autoren gehen der Frage nach, wie sich die Steuerkultur in den beiden Teilen Deutschlands bis zur Wiedervereinigung entwickelt hat. Ferner wird nach Erklärungsmöglichkeiten für das Ausbleiben eines Steuerkulturschocks in den Neuen Ländern gesucht.
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Second negotiations between the Federal agency for special tasks demanded by the German reunification (BvS) and purchasers of companies held by Treuhandanstalt privatization agency
Jacqueline Rothfels
IWH Discussion Papers,
No. 58,
1997
Abstract
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Management buy outs in East Germany – Expert report for the BvS (Federal agency for special tasks required by the German reunification)
Franz Barjak, Gerhard Heimpold, Brigitte Loose, Robert Skopp, Martin Junkernheinrich
IWH-Sonderhefte,
No. 2,
1996
Abstract
Die Zukunft der ostdeutschen Wirtschaft hängt davon ab, daß der vorhandene Unternehmensbestand stabilisiert wird, d.h. entscheidend an Wettbewerbskraft hinzugewinnt. Die vorliegende Studie über Management-Buy-Outs (MBOs) untersucht einen wichtigen Teil des ostdeutschen Unternehmensbestands. Die MBOs wurden im Zuge des Privatisierungsprozesses vielfach als „aufbaupolitische Hoffnungsträger“ angesehen, sollte sich mit ihnen doch ein eigenständiger unternehmerischer Mittelstand in den neuen Bundesländern verankern. Angesichts dieser Bedeutung hat die Bundesanstalt für vereinigungsbedingte Sonderaufgaben (BvS) das Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung Halle (IWH) im Sommer 1995 mit einer umfassenden Untersuchung der MBOs betraut.
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Abridged version: Management buy outs in East Germany - Expert report for the BvS (Federal agency for special tasks required by the German reunification)
Franz Barjak, Gerhard Heimpold, Brigitte Loose, Robert Skopp, Martin Junkernheinrich
IWH-Sonderhefte,
S
1996
Abstract
Im Rahmen der Privatisierung des ostdeutschen Unternehmensbestandes haben Management Buy-Outs (MBOs) teilweise den Charakter eines aufbaupolitischen Hoffnungsträgers erlangt. Wie kaum eine Unternehmensgruppe sind sie in den letzten Jahren durch die empirische Wirtschaftsforschung begleitet worden. Angesichts der Bedeutung der MBOs für die Schaffung eines eigenständigen, in den neuen Bundesländern verankerten unternehmerischen Mittelstandes hat die Bundesanstalt für vereinigungsbedingte Sonderaufgaben (BvS) das Institut für Wirt-schaftsforschung Halle (IWH) im Sommer 1995 mit einer umfassenden Untersuchung zu diesen Unternehmen betraut.
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