Schlachtensee Student Village
Encyclopedia
Studentendorf Schlachtensee (Schlachtensee Student Village) is a student accommodation complex located in south-west Berlin
, in the Schlachtensee
area of the Steglitz-Zehlendorf
borough of the city. It was constructed between 1959 and 1964 to provide accommodation to student of the new Free University of Berlin
, and was opened in 1959 by Willy Brandt
, Mayor of West Berlin
. The project was financed through a gift from the United States government. It is now recognised by the German government as a National Cultural Monument.
The Village was afforded protected status as a monument in 1990. Despite this, plans were made in 2001 to raze the Village and sell the land for development. These plans were met with fierce public opposition, and in 2003 the plans were dropped. In June 2004, the Student Village was transferred to the operation of a private trust in order to secure its future. Renovation began in 2006 of the buildings which since 2002 had lain almost empty, and is expected to be completed in 2017.
. One of the book's chapters is entitled Die Höhlen von Schlachtensee (The Caverns of Schlachtensee).
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, in the Schlachtensee
Schlachtensee
Schlachtensee is a lake in the south west of Berlin, in the Steglitz-Zehlendorf borough , on the edge of the Grunewald forest. The lake lends its name to the surrounding area and to the nearby Studentendorf Schlachtensee, a student residence...
area of the Steglitz-Zehlendorf
Steglitz-Zehlendorf
Steglitz-Zehlendorf is the sixth borough of Berlin, formed in Berlin's 2001 administrative reform by merging the former boroughs of Steglitz and Zehlendorf.-Demographics:...
borough of the city. It was constructed between 1959 and 1964 to provide accommodation to student of the new Free University of Berlin
Free University of Berlin
Freie Universität Berlin is one of the leading and most prestigious research universities in Germany and continental Europe. It distinguishes itself through its modern and international character. It is the largest of the four universities in Berlin. Research at the university is focused on the...
, and was opened in 1959 by Willy Brandt
Willy Brandt
Willy Brandt, born Herbert Ernst Karl Frahm , was a German politician, Mayor of West Berlin 1957–1966, Chancellor of West Germany 1969–1974, and leader of the Social Democratic Party of Germany 1964–1987....
, Mayor of West Berlin
Governing Mayor of Berlin
The Governing Mayor of Berlin is the head of government in the city-state of Berlin, one of the States of Germany. It is the equivalent of the Ministers-President of the other German states except the two other city-states of Hamburg and Bremen, where the heads of government are called "First...
. The project was financed through a gift from the United States government. It is now recognised by the German government as a National Cultural Monument.
History
Berlin architects Hermann Fehling, Daniel Gogel and Peter Pfankuch arranged the student accommodation around a campus which is unique in Berlin. The twenty-seven houses are gathered in terraces around a central square and intended to foster a sense of community. While the rooms are somewhat small, bright hallways, kitchens and social areas invite residents to interact with one another. Since expansion in 1977 the Student Village has been able to accommodate around one thousand students.The Village was afforded protected status as a monument in 1990. Despite this, plans were made in 2001 to raze the Village and sell the land for development. These plans were met with fierce public opposition, and in 2003 the plans were dropped. In June 2004, the Student Village was transferred to the operation of a private trust in order to secure its future. Renovation began in 2006 of the buildings which since 2002 had lain almost empty, and is expected to be completed in 2017.
Literature
The Student Village is one of the scenes in the novel Der schöne Vogel Phönix by Jochen Schimmang, which is set during the 1968 German student movementGerman student movement
The German student movement was a protest movement that took place during the late 1960s in West Germany. It was largely a reaction against the perceived authoritarianism and hypocrisy of the German government and other Western governments, and the poor living conditions of students...
. One of the book's chapters is entitled Die Höhlen von Schlachtensee (The Caverns of Schlachtensee).