Activists occupy an empty house in Leipzig: Stop rental madness!”

Activists occupy an empty house in Leipzig: Stop rental madness!”

On October 16, 2025, an empty house at Einertstrasse 3 in Leipzig Neustadt-Neuschönefeld was occupied by activists. The occupation is part of the “Autonomous Occupation Days”, which aims to draw attention to rising rents and the associated displacement of lower-income sections of the population in Leipzig. Loud lvz.de In the early evening, around 100 supporters gathered on the corner of Einertstrasse and Ludwigstrasse.

An activist explained the motives for the action from the window of the occupied house around 5 p.m. The group “Leipzig Occupy” is calling for housing for people who are discriminated against and space for initiatives that are being pushed out by current rental prices. The movement emphasizes its willingness to negotiate with the city and the owners. At the same time, they criticize the upgrading of Eisenbahnstrasse and its negative impact on the social structure of the district.

Police operation and eviction

The police evacuated the building a few hours after the occupation. A first attempt to gain access to the house shortly after 6 p.m. via an outbuilding and the backyard was unsuccessful. The police then carried out another attempt at 8 p.m. and gained access to the property at around 8:35 p.m., where they eventually found two women and two men. During the evacuation, pyrotechnics were ignited from the window, which further inflamed the situation.

The action is part of a larger wave of protests under the motto “Stop rental madness”. This aims to draw attention to the difficult situation on the Leipzig housing market, especially in the west of the city. In some places where rents have risen drastically, long-established tenants are faced with displacement. MDR reports that Leipzig is one of the cities in Germany with the highest influx, which, combined with rising rental prices, is leading to a tense situation.

Political support and resistance

The activists receive support from Leipzig personalities such as city councilor Juliane Nagel (Left), who shares the occupiers' goals and criticizes speculation in living space and the vacancies. A peaceful rally in front of the squat, where about 70 people gathered, ended around 12:40 a.m. Here too, investigations were initiated against the occupiers for trespassing.

The occupation is part of a series of similar actions that previously produced the projects “LuWi71”, “Tiefe3” and “Antishocke” – all with the aim of drawing attention to the grievances in the housing system and demanding social justice.