A new residence hall is being built in northern Potsdam: On Friday, May 29, 2026, a symbolic groundbreaking ceremony was celebrated on Georg-Hermann-Allee for a residence hall with 308 places. A total of 161 modern apartments are planned.
Minister of Science Manja Schüle, Minister of Infrastructure Robert Crumbach, Potsdam Mayor Noosha Aubel, ProPotsdam Managing Director Bert Nicke, and Timo Grießmann, Administrative Director at Studierendenwerk West:Brandenburg, were present at the event.
The new residence hall is expected to make a significant difference in the tight student housing market in Potsdam. The apartments are scheduled to be ready for occupancy in 2028.
“We have around 25,000 students right here in Potsdam, and every place in the residence hall counts. That’s why we’re glad that this number of places in the residence halls will be created here. This sends a strong signal for the university location and represents a significant investment in the social infrastructure here in the city,” says Timo Grießmann, Administrative Director at Studierendenwerk West:Brandenburg.
Climate-friendly new buildings with shared two-person apartments and single apartments
The four four-story buildings are designed as climate-friendly hybrid structures. The basements and stairwells will be constructed of concrete, while the remaining building components will be made primarily of wood.
Planned features include:
- 147 two-person shared apartments
- 14 single apartments
- a total of 308 places in the residence halls for students
- a planted courtyard with seating and leisure facilities
- approximately 340 bicycle parking spaces to promote sustainable mobility
Cooperation and Financing
The residence hall is being built by ProPotsdam; when it is completed, the Studierendenwerk West:Brandenburg will take over its management – this cooperation is a first.
A total of approximately 32 million euros is being invested in the project. The state of Brandenburg is supporting the project with loans and grants totaling around 12 million euros.
“The housing issue has long been a matter of fairness in education—especially in a city like Potsdam, where rent prices are rising sharply. That is why this groundbreaking ceremony sends an important political signal: We are taking on this challenge together. Brandenburg and Potsdam have shown in recent years that it is possible to build quickly, well, and affordably when everyone works together,” says Minister of Science Manja Schüle.
Additional student housing projects in Potsdam
In addition to the new residence hall on Georg-Herrmann-Allee, more places in the residence halls for students will be created in Potsdam:
- The first tenants moved into a new residence hall on the Golm campus on June 1. All 423 places in this residence hall are expected to be rented out by the 2026/27 winter semester at the latest.
- In the center of Potsdam, next to the library, the start of construction for another residence hall is planned for this year. 80 places in the residence hall are to be built there.
