The foundation stone has been laid for a new residential complex on the university campus in Potsdam-Golm. Studentenwerk Potsdam celebrated the official start of construction on April 15, 2024 in the presence of Science Minister Dr. Manja Schüle and State Secretary of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Regional Planning Uwe Schüler. During the ceremony, the guests filled a time capsule with current newspapers, construction plans, a key to the previous residential complex and its house number. As part of the construction work, the time capsule and foundation stone will be embedded in the brickwork. With the expected completion in the winter semester 2025/26, 423 student residences will be created on the largest campus in the state capital.
Peter Heiß, Managing Director of the Studentenwerk Potsdam, emphasizes the relevance of the new building: "Over 400 more places in halls of residence. This is a great benefit for Potsdam's students, but also for the university location itself. We can only manage this modern and sustainable building thanks to the extensive financial support of the state. My sincere thanks go to everyone who has made this possible." Peter Heiß continues: "The hall of residence is Plan A for many students at the beginning of their studies. However, quite a few fail to find a Plan B, as the Potsdam housing market offers hardly any alternatives that young people can afford. Despite all the joy about the new building, the student housing shortage must continue to be prioritized - because only those who find affordable accommodation in Potsdam will continue to study here and enrich the state of Brandenburg in the future."
Manja Schüle, Minister for Science, Research and Culture, thanks all those involved in the construction of the new hall of residence: "Highly attractive accommodation at affordable rents, with a great infrastructure - that's what the new student hall of residence 'Golm II' will be, for which we laid the foundation stone today in Potsdam. My department and the Ministry of Infrastructure have supported this important, outstanding new building project of the Studentenwerk Potsdam with almost 37 million euros. This shows: As the state government, we are actively tackling the housing shortage among students at our universities. In doing so, we can rely on the Studentenwerke Potsdam and Frankfurt (Oder) as efficient partners. There is a particular demand for student accommodation, especially in Potsdam's competitive housing market. With the construction of the 'Golm II' hall of residence, the Studentenwerk Potsdam is meeting this challenge - my sincere thanks and good luck to everyone involved in the construction!"
Uwe Schüler, State Secretary in the Ministry of Infrastructure and Regional Planning, is delighted about the creation of additional living space for students: "Today's laying of the foundation stone is possible not least because of the good cooperation between the Ministry of Science, Research and Culture and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Regional Planning. The two ministries have made great financial efforts to complement each other here. But we were happy to do so, because we wanted a good result for the students in Potsdam. I don't need to emphasize how difficult times are on the housing market. The Ministry of Infrastructure and Regional Planning is supporting the creation of housing for students with around 18.7 million euros in funding for social housing. 423 places to live here on campus is good news."
The new building, which cost around 37 million euros, fits in perfectly with the existing campus infrastructure. The canteen is just a stone's throw away, the library and lecture halls as well as leisure and sports facilities are in the immediate vicinity. In addition to fully furnished one-room apartments with an integrated kitchenette and bathroom, the building will also include shared flats for two people, many of which will be barrier-free. The project was preceded by a long planning phase: the original building on the site (House 3) was deemed unfit for renovation and had to be demolished. The new building impresses with its compact and space-saving design. During the planning phase, great importance was attached to interfering as little as possible with the natural surroundings and taking various nature conservation aspects into account. The earthworks are currently in the final stages. The shell of the building is scheduled for completion in late fall 2024. The interior work is scheduled to begin then.
In addition to the construction project in Potsdam-Golm, further residential homes are to be built. The winning design for a residential complex in the center of Potsdam was announced in summer 2023. By fall 2027, 80 places for students are to be built in a central location. Another project is being planned together with Pro Potsdam: in the "Rote Kaserne West" quarter in Bornstedter Feld, the Studentenwerk will be able to manage 197 places for students as a general tenant.
