Uni vs. Containerdorf: Standoff in Berlin's exclusive district

Uni vs. Containerdorf: Standoff in Berlin's exclusive district

The planned container village for 260 refugees on a university site in Berlin-Dahlem provides protests. Free University (FU) shows resistance because it has provided the site for the construction of teaching and research buildings. The FU managers felt over, since they were not informed about the Senate plans in time. Previously, the university had already provided short -term support in the accommodation of refugees, but emphasized that from 2023 the terrain is urgently needed for its own construction projects.

The Senate decided to build 16 other container villages at the end of March, since the need for living space for refugees in Berlin is still high. The locations for the new container villages are mainly in the eastern part of the city, which leads to a tightening of the imbalance in the distribution of the refugees. Despite this necessity, the planned construction of a container village on the university site in Dahlem encounters resistance in the community and online.

The discussions on the net reflect the controversial debate. Some users criticize the FU Berlin for not working more to accommodate refugees, although it presents itself as cosmopolitan and tolerant in other areas. The decision to use the university for the container village calls for a clear position from the university and to clarify their goals in relation to the support of refugees.