University conflict in Berlin-Dahlem: Container village or teaching building?

University conflict in Berlin-Dahlem: Container village or teaching building?

The free property on Thielallee 63 in Berlin-Dahlem, which is currently being used as a parking lot, should soon make room for 260 refugees, according to the Senate's plans. However, this decision encounters resistance, especially at the Free University (FU), since the university intends to build a building for teaching and research there. The refugee coordinator of Berlin, Albrecht Broemme, FU Chancellor Andrea Güttner informed that he wanted to temporarily accommodate refugees on the site, but this was rejected.

The FU reacted outraged because it learned from the plans of the Senate from the media and the university management was not approved. President Günter Ziegler expressed his displeasure with the procedure and felt dismissed by the Senate decision. Broemme emphasizes that as long as the property remains unused, it is possible to accommodate refugees there. He asked the university chancellor to provide a clear temporal indication of when the planned building is to be built.

At the end of March, the Senate decided to build 16 other container villages in Berlin in order to counter the tense housing market for refugees. These locations are to be built on various fallow land, parking spaces and construction site. The decision met with challenges, but it was possible to lace up a total package and set the locations.

In social media, criticism of the FU was loud because she spoke out against the accommodation of refugees on her property. Users pointed out the discrepancy that the university was open to various occasions, but was blocked against the temporary accommodation of refugees. The debate made it clear that the elegant facade can often crumble quickly when it comes to personal concern.