Please klick on the items A-E in the map for explanation.

In the wake of the 1972 local government reorganization the number of inhabitants increases sharply, making Wolfsburg a city overnight. But at the same time a recession in the automotive industry, aggravated by the effects of the 1974 oil crisis, is showing its repercussions on the city. Jobs are scarce. A decline in population leads to a building freeze. Public spending on cultural purposes is affected, too; for more than a decade, no major projects can be initiated. Yet, more than ever, the development of the city center is marked by the quest for urbanity. Urban planners make new efforts to stop the drain of shoppers: starting in 1972, Porschestraße gradually becomes a pedestrian area, later its northern and southern ends are transformed into the so-called Nordkopf and Südkopf.