History – Deutsche Annington
Flats for Railway Workers
Deutsche Annington has its historical roots in the construction of housing for employees. Their origins were in residential housing companies and cooperatives, which constructed affordable housing for employees and officials of the former state railway. Among this housing were many settlements which were exemplary then and are under historical preservation now. The oldest of these railway workers’ communities have a history which spans nearly 100 years. Alongside the relaxation in the residential housing markets, these communities opened themselves up for other tenants as well over the past few decades.
Deutsche Annington’s more recent history begins with the privatisation of railway workers’ residential housing companies through the German Railway Estate (BEV). It acquired these eleven companies with an approximate total of 65,000 flats in 2001. Deutsche Annington derives its name from their British sister-company, “Annington Homes,” which acquired the British armed forces’ homes and flats from the Ministry of Defence over the course of privatisations in Great Brittan.
In 2003, the acquisition of Heimbau AG in Kiel followed, which managed approximately 10,000 flats. At the end of 2004, Deutsche Annington then purchased 4,500 flats from the RWE corporation.
In August of 2005, Deutsche Annington acquired Viterra from E.ON AG, with 138,000 flats.
