Technical University of Berlin main building: indefinitely closed

The closure of a German university’s main building is being seen as part of a wider infrastructure crisis affecting universities across the country. The Technical University of Berlin (TU Berlin) indefinitely closed its main building in May after an inspection found defects affecting fire safety and power supply. “The safety of all members of the university community is our top priority. This is why the measure must be implemented immediately,” the university said in a statement.

The issue has become contentious in Berlin, where universities are pressing lawmakers to amend proposed legislation that would overhaul responsibility for campus construction work. In a recent statement, Humboldt University of Berlin said it supports efforts to tackle the capital’s more than €8 billion (Rs.86,515 crore) maintenance backlog, but the draft bill doesn’t clearly treat universities as equal partners and warned that important questions about the financing of projects and responsibility for construction projects remain unanswered.

“This is not an isolated case,” says Grit Wurmseer, managing director at HIS Institute for Higher Education Development, referring to the closure of TU Berlin’s main building. “A significant number of buildings are closed temporarily or in part due to their structural condition. But the complete closure of a main building is rather unusual and has therefore, attracted increased political attention.”

Many of Germany’s university buildings were constructed in the 1960s and 1970s, when the higher education sector experienced a massive boom in student numbers. Quantity often took precedence over quality, while building techniques and materials that were considered modern at the time, including reinforced concrete and asbestos, have now resulted in renovation challenges, explains Wurmseer.

Frank Ziegele, executive director of the CHE (Centre for Higher Education) says the sector is now dealing with the consequences of this post-war construction boom. “These buildings are now reaching the end of their lifespan,” he says. Governance issues have exacerbated the problem over the past 20 years. University infrastructure was financed jointly by federal and state governments before 2006, when a constitutional change transferred responsibility entirely to states.

“Basically it’s a good idea but the problem is that the responsibility was not accompanied by a reallocation of funds. So states now have full (responsibility) over infrastructure and buildings but they didn’t get a higher share of tax revenues,” says Ziegele.

As a result, Germany is facing a growing renovation backlog. Estimates of the scale of the problem vary widely, from about €74 billion (Rs.8 lakh crore) to as much as €140 billion. In Germany, university buildings are generally owned by federal states, also known as the Lander, and managed through state property agencies, while universities themselves are responsible for maintenance and repairs. “The differing responsibilities for investment and repair can, under certain circumstances, lead to stalemate situations,” she says, adding that “no clear allocation of responsibilities” makes long-term planning and investment decisions more difficult.