Published in March 2026
The history of GF is not only a story of factories, machines, and jobs. For more than a century, the company also helped provide homes for its employees. Particularly in Schaffhausen, GF shaped entire neighborhoods and made a significant contribution to the region’s housing history. The expansion of housing went hand in hand with the growth of the workforce. GF required accommodation both for workers from the local area and for employees relocating to Schaffhausen from elsewhere.
As early as 1868, the first residence for unmarried factory workers was built in the Mühlental, directly beside the steel foundry. What initially served as a means of attracting labor and reducing commuting distances evolved into a comprehensive commitment to housing development. With the establishment of the Baugesellschaft Breite, later known as Wohnbaugesellschaft of Georg Fischer Ltd. (WBG), a new chapter began in 1906. Modern workers’ housing estates were developed on the plateau above the Mühlental valley. Their primary objective was to provide employees with healthy, modern, and affordable living conditions. Among the best-known projects is the Schwarzadlergut estate on Stahlwerkstrasse, designed by Curjel & Moser.
During the First World War, the Schweizersbild housing estate was developed in the Pantli area. The houses featured small outbuildings for keeping livestock as well as generous gardens. GF actively encouraged workers’ families to become self-sufficient. According to one anecdote, some workers occasionally devoted more attention to their vegetable plots than to their duties in the factory. Shortly thereafter, in 1920/1921, the first “employees’ estate” for office staff was built on the Geissberg. Its larger and more comfortable apartments reflected the social distinctions of the time.
GF steadily expanded its housing activities until the 1970s. At the beginning of that decade, when the Schaffhausen site reached its peak employment level, 6,670 people worked for the company locally, with more than 1,000 apartments available in Schaffhausen and the surrounding area. GF also supported home ownership through loans, sold building land, provided free advice to prospective builders, and participated in housing cooperatives. The company promoted housing development at its locations in Singen, Mettmann, and Brugg as well. The garden-city estates of the early decades were followed by modern residential developments such as Bodenacker in Brugg and Eschengut in Schaffhausen.
A shift began in the late 1970s. Declining workforce numbers due to production relocations, rising renovation costs, and changing social attitudes led to a new direction. With the establishment of GF Immobilien AG in 1982/83, the economically driven management of real estate gradually replaced employee-focused housing initiatives. Nevertheless, many of these estates, some of them protected historic landmarks, continue to shape the urban landscape today and serve as a reminder of a period in which GF created not only jobs but also homes.
