The Declining Guestworker Population in West German Cities: the Case of Nuremberg

Abstract

The foreign guestworker population of West Germany has declined considerably since 1981, as a result of economic recession and government-induced pressures. The paper assesses the significance of these national economic and demographic trends in a major city, Nuremberg. An analysis of the spatial outcomes of the main processes involved in population contraction suggests that, within the inner city in particular, these are far from simple. Moreover, the increasing numbers of ethnic German refugees from Eastern Europe in recent years, together with considerable numbers of Third World refugees, have created additional complications in the urban scene.