Germany suffering from 'rural exodus'

Subscribe to our channel http://bit.ly/AJSubscribe Subscribe to our channel http://bit.ly/AJSubscribe The town of Altena in Germany is best known to tourists for its 12th century stronghold, and for producing suits of chain mail armour for medieval knights - fitting symbols for a place now fighting back against rural exodus. This was the town in the former West Germany that suffered biggest drop in its population, by over 40 percent in 40 years. This is slowly changing, as the local government helps organise who helps whom, and as the people of Altena, both young and old, work together to stop the countryside from emptying further. Rural exodus is a vicious circle, as people leave, so the town collects less tax money, and then cannot pay for social services. In Altena, for example, unpaid volunteers drive the town bus. Al Jazeera's Nick Spicer reports from Altena. At Al Jazeera English, we focus on people and events that affect people's lives. We bring topics to light that often go under-reported, listening to all sides of the story and giving a 'voice to the voiceless.' Reaching more than 270 million households in over 140 countries across the globe, our viewers trust Al Jazeera English to keep them informed, inspired, and entertained. Our impartial, fact-based reporting wins worldwide praise and respect. It is our unique brand of journalism that the world has come to rely on. We are reshaping global media and constantly working to strengthen our reputation as one of the world's most respected news and current affairs channels. Social Media links: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera Instagram: https://instagram.com/aljazeera/?ref=... Twitter: https://twitter.com/ajenglish Website: http://www.aljazeera.com/ google+: https://plus.google.com/+aljazeera/posts