Prefabricated Housing Estates from East Germany Stand in Zanzibar

Plattenbau charm meets tropical flair: This is how one could describe certain districts in Zanzibar's capital, where it somehow looks like Berlin-Marzahn or Dresden-Gorbitz. We explain what's behind these prefabricated housing developments.

We know prefabricated buildings all too well from German cities. The construction style is practical, creating ample space for housing in tight quarters, focusing more on functionality than aesthetics. Now imagine a housing estate like the district of Marzahn in Berlin, but amidst palm trees and not far from the sea.

Impossible, you think? Wrong, in the capital of Zanzibar on the namesake archipelago off the coast of Tanzania, these buildings are part of the urban landscape in the district of Stone Town. This was a gift from East Germany.

When Zanzibar officially recognized East Germany as a state in 1964, then-politician Walter Ulbricht felt a warm glow, as such recognition was rare for East Germany at the time.

Zanzibar did not do this without reason: The archipelago had just recently declared itself a people's republic. However, it lasted much shorter than East Germany, not even a whole year. A few months later, Zanzibar joined with Tanganyika to form what is known today as Tanzania.

The building parts were shipped and then the prefabricated buildings were constructed and made ready for occupancy in record time. The people previously living in huts at these locations were displaced, though some reportedly received one of the apartments as compensation.

Thanks to the prefab elements that needed to be assembled, the construction sites were completed quickly. This led to new housing projects like 'Kikwajuni' and 'Michenzani'. Over 20,000 people still live in these apartments today, which, although they are no longer in the best condition, remain popular among residents.

In Germany, most old prefabricated buildings have now been renovated and modernized, but that's not the case in Zanzibar - here the sight of the old prefabs feels like a journey into the past.

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