Freie Universität Berlin

The main office was opened on July 24, 1948, on Boltzmann Strasse 4. It was furnished with donations from individuals. Within the first week 1,200 prospective students had signed up.

In January 1959 11,005 students were enrolled at Freie Universität. Numerous institutes had opened on campus. The photo shows law students in their dining hall.

The construction of the Berlin Wall, a visit by United States President John F. Kennedy in Dahlem, student protests, and the new Berlin University Act characterized the 1960s at Freie Universität Berlin.

The Center for Academic Advising and Psychological Counseling, a child day care center for members of the university, the University Archives, the University Sports Center, and the Central Computing Services (ZEDAT) all took up their work in the 1970s.

During the 1980s a new dining hall (Mensa II) was opened in the newly constructed complex called the “Silberlaube.” Several new institutes were set up, and some of the departments and facilities moved from Dahlem to Lankwitz.

During the 1990s discussions about higher education in Berlin were greatly influenced by declining budgets. In the decade following German reunification, Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin were in direct competition for funds designated for the universities in Berlin.

One highlight for Freie Universität was the construction of a new Philological Library. Another important milestone was reached in 2007, when Freie Universität won the coveted status as a German University of Excellence.

Freie Universität Berlin maintained its status as a German University of Excellence in the next German-wide competition. Another large building complex informally dubbed the “Holzlaube” was completed. The university also achieved more visibility when one of the main subway stations near its Dahlem campus was renamed “Freie Universität.”

In 2020, seminars and lectures, exams and meetings were moved to virtual spaces in order to curb the spread of the coronavirus. The Veterinary Center for Resistance Research and the SupraFAB building were opened on campus in 2022.