Free University of Berlin: Dispute over the planned container village

Free University of Berlin: Dispute over the planned container village

The Uniwelände on Thielallee 63 in Berlin-Dahlem is the focus of controversial discussions because the Senate plans to build a container village for 260 refugees there. However, this encounters resistance, especially at the Free University (FU), which actually wants to use the site for research and teaching purposes. The university management felt ignored because it only learned from the media from the Senate plans. The university emphasized its willingness to support refugees, but made it clear that the property from 2023 will be needed for its own construction projects.

Berlin's refugee coordinator, Albrecht Broemme, sees a solution in the temporary accommodation of refugees as long as the property remains unused. At the end of March, the Senate decided to build 16 additional container villages in Berlin in order to counteract the acute emergency emergency for refugees. Although the locations are primarily planned in the eastern part of the city, new container villages are also to be created in other districts, including Steglitz-Zehlendorf.

The rejection of the accommodation of refugees on the university area by the FU has led to ridicule and criticism on the net. Some users question the supposed cosmopolitanism and tolerance of the university and accuse their racism and intolerance. The discussion on the Internet shows that the decision of the FU is due to incomprehension and outrage, especially in view of the humanitarian crisis and the acute need for refugee accommodation in Berlin.