The Europe Challenge

The Local Challenge 

Weißenfels, a city of 40,000 in Saxony-Anhalt, is working to revitalise its old town after decades of industrial decline, depopulation, and vacant buildings. Once sustained by lignite mining and heavy industry, the city lost a significant share of its population after reunification, along with much of its economic base. Today, around 15% of residents are foreign nationals, bringing both diversity and the need for effective integration.

One of the city’s key goals is to attract new residents, especially young families, and to strengthen a shared sense of belonging. As the current library is too small and inaccessible to meet community needs, the decision to build a new, centrally located library offers the chance to create a modern, inclusive “third place” that acts as both a cultural anchor and a driver of urban regeneration.

The Initiative

Weißenfels is designing its new library through a participatory Design Thinking process, ensuring that the building reflects the needs and aspirations of the community. A mix of workshops, interviews, and “World Café” discussions invite citizens to share ideas for spaces, services, and programmes they want to see. Architects then integrate this input into plans for an open, barrier-free, multifunctional building, with spaces for events, co-working, exhibitions, and informal gatherings. To ensure a wide range of voices are heard, the library works closely with Merse54, a hub for participatory urban development, which specialises in reaching underrepresented groups.

What’s Next?

Over the coming months, a project group including the library team, Merse54, architectural partners, and local stakeholders, will coordinate the participatory process. Community engagement will run in stages, starting with broad idea-gathering through public events and outreach in schools, neighbourhood centres, and markets. Special sessions will target groups less likely to participate, such as young families, teenagers, seniors, and migrant communities.

Promising ideas will be tested through prototypes such as temporary room layouts or pilot activities, in order to gather feedback before final design decisions are made. At the end of the process, the city will have a detailed, citizen-informed concept for the new library, ready for architectural finalisation and construction. The result will be a modern, fully accessible “third place” in the heart of Weißenfels, offering spaces and services that bring people together, support learning and creativity, and strengthen the city’s cultural and social fabric.

Contact theeuropechallenge@culturalfoundation.eu if you have any questions or want to be connected with the team behind the project.