Empty shops, dilapidated houses, a wasteland: for a long time, the former run-down Freiimfelde district of Halle an der Saale had a bad reputation. Then young artists and local citizens began to pep up the façades of the abandoned houses, together. The result is colourful, imaginative and unique: since 2012, more than 100 murals, some of them huge, and a civic neighbourhood concept have been created – the Freiraumgalerie. The creative protagonists of the campaign have given the district more than just a new face. They stimulate development, boost identification, and thus create a new sense of community among the people in the district.