The Program

Content

"It was precisely the adverse circumstances in post-war West-Berlin that made the establishment of Freie Universität unique and turned it into a myth." Martina Schilling 

The 1948 founding of Freie Universität Berlin (Free University Berlin) in the American sector during the Berlin blockade was a tour de force fueled by political ideals and an expression of the mounting tension in the city. The distinctive campus in the green city district of Dahlem to this day reflects this extraordinary history as well as the educational policy and urban planning development of the southwestern part of Berlin since the late 19th century. At the same time, Freie Universität is a representative example of the growth and evolution of the university sector across all of post-war Germany. The changing requirements along with various architectural trends have shaped its exterior appearance to this day – with conceptually and stylistically appealing buildings, some of which were conceived by renowned architects and that are of great importance to the history of the higher education construction sector.

This book provides an overview of the planning and construction history of Freie Universität Berlin and for the first time presents selected buildings in greater detail. In addition to the scientific observation, it invites readers to observe the architecture of the buildings while strolling among them and to comprehend their large-scale planning concepts.