In Wiesbaden and Vilseck, landlords and mayors fear the consequences of a possible withdrawal of 37,000 US soldiers from Germany. President Trump's announcements have already led to vacancies and economic concerns.
Birgit Bug from Wiesbaden has rented apartments to US soldiers for years. Her last tenants moved out in October, and the apartment has been vacant for five months.
In Vilseck with 6,500 inhabitants, about 5,000 US soldiers are stationed. Mayor Thorsten Grädler estimates the annual economic contribution at 650 to 700 million euros and warns of a dramatic blow to the region.
A study by ZEW and the University of Cologne shows that every two withdrawn soldiers correspond to one social security liable full-time job. Previous withdrawals in the 1990s led to a nine percent drop in municipal revenues.
In Wiesbaden, some see the withdrawal as an opportunity and already have plans for the use of freed-up areas.
