Land Reform Movement in Germany (II): Focusing on Land Reform Legislation

In Germany, the population of large cities such as Berlin has increased rapidly due to industrialization and urbanization since modern times. The rental apartments for workers in large cities built during this period were called “rental barracks”(Mietskaserne), and the living conditions were very poor. As such, the demand for residential space in large cities continued to increase, and this resulted in an increase in demand for land, leading to a rapid rise in land prices. In the midst of this, American economist Henry George argued that the land value should be shared by society through the land value taxation, which collects land rent as a tax, and through this, the land problem could be solved. Influenced by Henry George's argument, Adolf Damashke appeared in Germany and the German Land Reformers Association (Bund Deutscher Bodenreformer) was formed. Due to their efforts, the Hereditary Land Rights Act was enacted in 1919, and Article 155 of the Weimar Constitution contained the content of the return of development profits. However, even if the constitution stipulates the return of development profits, the subsequent legislation was not implemented. This experience of Germany's past legislation can be used as a reference in Korea's current legislation related to land-rental housing for sale and the issue of stipulating the concept of land public in the Constitution.