History • Freie Universität Berlin

Freie Universität Berlin’s History through the Decades

From milestones to watersheds and achievements, find out more about Freie Universität Berlin’s captivating history here.

This historical overview of the university’s past is based on the work (“A Short Chronicle of Freie Universität Berlin”) by Jenny Schlüpmann, Jochen Staadt, and Erik Zurth.

The 1940s

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.

Image Credit: Freie Universität Berlin / Universitätsarchiv

The 1950s

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.

Image Credit: Gerd-Victor Krau / Fotoarchiv der Deutschen Kinemathek

The 1960s

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.

Image Credit: Universitätsarchiv der Freien Universität / Heinz O. Jurisch

The 1970s

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.

Image Credit: Freie Universität Berlin

The 1980s

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.

Image Credit: Freie Universität Berlin / Universitätsarchiv

The 1990s

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.

Image Credit: David Ausserhofer

The 2000s

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.

Image Credit: David Ausserhofer

The 2010s

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.”

Image Credit: Annika Middeldorf

The 2020s

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.

Image Credit: Bernd Wannenmacher