Since the turn of the year in 2012/13, Freie Universität Berlin has closed during the academic holidays at Christmas/New Year. The annual closing is meant to increase general work efficiency while avoiding unnecessary energy consumption. During this period, ventilation systems and laboratory as well as IT equipment are switched off wherever possible. University buildings’ temperatures are reduced to 12-14°C with a few exceptions. The Unit for Sustainability and Energy Management manages and coordinates this process, which requires close cooperation with specialized departments as well as property, operations, cleaning, and personnel management. These measures have helped save 150,000-250,000 Euros in annual energy consumption. To identify energy optimization opportunities, energy audits are conducted during the holidays.

Further information on the topic and checklists for preparation fo the workspace can be found on our news-page.

Dates of the annual holidays for the following years are listed below:

2020/2021:
Wednesday, 23 December 2020, until sunday, 03 January 2021

2021/2022:
Thursday, 23 December 2021, until sunday, 02 January 2022

2022/2023: the company holidays do not officially take place. For energy-saving and occupational safety reasons, staff members are asked to work in their home offices or to take leave. Many houses will close between 24 December2022 and 01 January 2023

2023/2024:
Saturday, 23.12.2023, until sunday, 07 January 2024

For detailed information regarding the vacation request can be found in this document.