Geschichte des Wohnheims
Seit seiner Eröffnung 1960 hat das Studentenwohnheim Geschwister Scholl e.V. eine reichhaltige Geschichte hinter sich. Nachfolgend berichten wir über die Bauphasen, der Veränderungen rund um Gebäude & Organisation, die Zusammenarbeit mit dem Marchionini-Heim sowie die Geschichte der Heimleitung.
History of our Dorm
Since its opening in 1960, the student dormitory Geschwister Scholl e.V. has had a rich history. Here, we report on the construction phases, the changes of the buildings, the cooperation with the Marchionini Dormitory, as well as the history of the dormitory management and organization.
House 1 construction
Beginning directly in the founding year of the association, 1956, donation collections in the form of thousands of „begging letters” were sent to private and business people, accompanied by numerous conversations at every available opportunity. The prominent names of the patron and the founders of the association, Bavarian Minister President Dr. Wilhelm Hoegner, University Rector Prof. Dr. Alfred Marchionini, Minister of Justice Dr. Fritz Koch and Dr. Hans-Jochen Vogel, were helpful. After only two years, the necessary funds were raised and a plot of land owned by the city of Munich near the Munich universities was found. The city sold this land to the association and simultaneously granted the association a subsidy in the amount of the purchase price. Both of these were mainly thanks to Thomas Wimmer (SPD), the mayor of Munich at the time, who was an avid supporter of the dormitory. In addition, subsidies from the federal and state governments and a loan from the Stadtsparkasse savings bank helped fund the construction. A non-cancelable advance rent payment from the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Sozialdemokratischer Akademiker (Working Group of Social Democratic Academics) also contributed financially to the House 1 construction. In return, the association agreed to rent the Arbeitsgemeinschaft an office on the first floor of House 1 of approx. 20m² and to grant it the right to use the common rooms. The rights under this contract were transferred to the Social Democratic Academic Association, whose office was housed in House 1 until 1973.
Werner and Grete Wirsing, respected pioneers of post-war modernism, were chosen as architects for the construction. After thorough planning was completed on January 21, 1958 with the finalized building plans, construction could begin and the first stone was laid on March 25, 1959. By the end of the year, House 1 with 144 living spaces—including 64 double rooms—was completed and occupied. The grand opening took place on January 7, 1960. The total cost was 1.2 million Deutsche Mark. Werner Wirsing remained a member of the dormitory and its sponsoring association until the end of his life.
Model of House 1 of the Schollheim after Werner and Grete Wirsing (provided by „Architekturmuseum der TUM”).
oben: Haus 1 kurz nach Fertigstellung 1960. Im Vordergrund ist das Trümmergrundstück zu sehen, auf dem heute Haus 2 steht.
There was special applause at the opening of House 1 when the association’s managing director, Dr. Hans-Jochen Vogel, announced that Arbeiterwohlfahrt had donated a television to the home’s residents. In 1960 post-war Germany, television was just seven years old and owning a TV was not something that could be taken for granted.
House 1 shortly after completion in 1960. In the foreground you can see the rubble plot on which House 2 stands today.
Cooperation between dormitory management and the student’s self-administration
Even before the first students moved into House 1 on January 1, 1960, the association had laid the foundations for extensive self-administration by the dormitory residents through appropriate provisional regulations. Students were to be involved in the administration of the dormitory by the association: by selecting incoming dormitory residents themselves, by having a say in decisions about the budget and rent increases, and by being able to shape dormitory life on their own way. In the years that followed, this was introduced step-by-step. Since then, the student residents—who are represented by 3 members on the association’s 9‑member board of trustees—have further developed the content and form of their self-administration in consultation with the association.
For the association, cooperation with the student self-administration is largely the responsibility of the dormitory management, i.e. the dormitory director.
Heads of the dormitory
The initial appointment of the dormitory director was especially important, as the intention was to be more than a normal student dormitory: a place of political education, education for tolerance, democracy and social commitment. The founders of the association sent out a clear signal by choosing the first female director of the dormitory: they appointed Dr. Helga Grebing (✝ September 25, 2017 in Berlin), a young historian who was not well known at the time and who wrote standard works on National Socialism and the German labor movement in the years that followed. From today’s perspective, she was one of the most distinguished historians of the post-war period.
Grebing’s program for the dormitory was a Studium Générale: students were to debate politics, contemporary history, literature and art. This was encouraged by lectures by prominent personalities such as Dr. Wilhelm Hoegner on „How Germany is governed,” Dr. Alfred Jüttner on „The Sovietization of East Central Europe,” or Inge Scholl, the sister of the murdered Sophie and Hans Scholl, on „the extent to which the ideologies of her siblings have been realized today.” Thus it came about that the Süddeutsche Zeitung published an article about the dormitory on March 28, 1961 under the title „The house residents—a family of peoples.”
On May 1, 1962, Grebing was succeeded as director of the home by the mathematician Josef Maisch, who was the first full-time rector of the then newly established Munich College. Until his death on September 25, 1986, he was meritoriously active as a part-time director of the home for more than 24 years. This period embodied an entire era of the Schollheim, strongly influenced by the political and social changes that had gripped Germany since 1968.
Subsequently, the retired educator Karl-Heinz Hammermüller took over the management of the home until he died at the age of 77 on May 4, 2001. A proven sailor on the high seas, he also steered a successful course for the dormitory with great circumspection, empathy and in a cooperative spirit.
His successor was the architect Tilmann Breitbach, whose work for the Bavarian State Building Administration ended in the spring of 2002 when he left for an early retirement. Like his predecessors, he successfully dedicated himself to the dormitory. Particularly noteworthy was his involvement in the construction of House 3. On behalf of the association, he drafted the first plans of the extension building, after which he accompanied and supervised the construction activities for the association. Due to his age, he retired from the management of the dormitory in 2019.
Since 2019, Alexandra Filser has been the successor to Tilmann Breitbach. She performs the tasks of administration and home management in union. Before additionally taking over the management of the dormitory in 2018, Filser had already been active in the administration of the Schollheim since 2014. She was trained at the company W. Rohrer & Sohn Treuhandgesellschaft as a businesswoman for property and housing management and is therefore very familiar with rental management.
Head of the dormitory Dr. Helga Grebing
Head of the dormitory Josef Maisch
Head of the dormitory Karl-Heinz Hammermüller
Head of the dormitory Tilmann Breitbach
Head of the dormitory Alexandra Filser
House 2 construction
After the completion of House 1, fundraising continued in order to build a second house. Again, within two years, fundraising succeeded in raising the necessary amount to apply for federal and state subsidies and a bank loan. Once again, the city of Munich helped by selling the adjacent property to the association and providing a subsidy in the amount of the purchase price. Werner and Grete Wirsing were able to continue their architectural work for the dormitory’s second house. By mid-1963, all preparations, including planning, were completed, the building permit was issued, and construction could begin. Difficult building ground due to deep ruined cellars, the requirement to build garages, the necessary closed connecting passage between the two houses, and general inflation led to difficult cost increases. In April 1964, House 2 was ready for occupancy with 98 single rooms, a connecting corridor to House 1, and 21 garages. The total cost of construction was 1.5 million DM.
Collaboration with the Alfred and Karl Marchionini Foundation
Since the fall of 1972, the Geschwister Scholl student dormitory and the Marchionini Dormitory have formed an administrative unit. In addition to the Schollheim, our dormitory’s administrative staff and the janitor also look after the Marchionini dormitory at Lerchenauer Straße 41 in Munich.
The basis for this cooperation is the common history and shared spiritual attitude of both dormitories and their sponsors.
Establishment of the Alfred and Karl Marchionini Foundation
As the first chairman of the association, Alfred Marchionini not only played a major role in the founding of the Geschwister Scholl student dormitory, but he and his wife Mathilde also donated their entire fortune to the construction of another student dormitory and the support of students in need. To this end, the childless Marchionini couple established the Alfred and Karl Marchionini Foundation in their wills. They took care of the construction of the Marchionini student dormitory, which is still in their possession today.
Shortly before her death, Dr. Mathilde Marchionini decreed that her first name be replaced in the foundation’s name by the first name of her father-in-law (Karl). In doing so, she wanted to honor the man from whom her husband derived his ideals. After the First World War, Karl Marchionini was an editor at the Leipziger Volkszeitung, an organ of the Independent Social Democrats (USPD).
Construction of the Marchionini student dormitory
The planning and construction of the Marchionini Student Residence, as with House 1 and House 2 of the Geschwister Scholl Student Residence, was essentially the result of the voluntary commitment of Robert Jenisch. He was the managing director of the Schollheim for many years. The architect of the Marchionini home was also Werner Wirsing.
Das Gebäude des Marchionini-Studentenwohnheims
The Marchionini home was completed in time for the 1972 Munich Olympics and housed referees during the Games. Immediately after the Games, the students moved in.
Due to the agreed administrative alliance, the Marchionini home was co-managed by the Schollheim. The responsibilities and decision-making powers of the Board of Directors and the Managing Director of the Alfred and Karl Marchionini Foundation remain unaffected.
The Marchionini dormitory building
Repairs and Remodels
No house in the world remains as intact as the day it was completed. From the outside, wind, heat, cold, rain, ice and snow gnaw away at it; from the inside, residents and visitors constantly wear it down. That’s why the dormitory has undergone a number of renovations since it was built.
House 1 Renovations
The building’s roof was renovated multiple times; the tarboards had to be renewed again and again until they could be replaced by durable aluminum sheeting.
Similarly, windows, facades, installations and floors had to be replaced and the walls of the rooms had to be freshly painted multiple times.
In House 1, there were major renovations in the 1980s: the kitchen and sanitary areas were expanded into the space previously occupied by eight single rooms. Consequently, the home manager’s and tutors’ apartment on the first floor was converted into a new residential group with eight new single rooms to compensate for the loss of rooms mentioned above.
Roof construction and extension for both houses
However, the biggest building project was experienced (and endured) by the home’s residents from June 1998 to July 1999, when the House 1 and House 2 flat roofs were replaced by hipped roofs and expanded into three residential groups with a total of 22 single rooms. In turn, the remaining 24 double rooms could finally be converted into single rooms. The total number of residential places thus decreased by only two units to 232 rooms.
All rooms in House 1 and House 2 received new washbasins and finally also hot water. The electrical installation had to be completely renewed and reinforced. At the same time, all rooms received telephone lines, TV/audio cable connections and connections to the new EDP house network (Schollnet). This is connected to the Leibniz Computer Center (LRZ) of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities via a high-performance dedicated line and offers every resident free access to the Internet.
Almost all windows of both houses were renewed and the façade freshly painted. The two outdated central heating systems were replaced by more modern, electronically controlled systems and each was supplemented by a solar panel system with a total panel area of around 100m².
These construction measures, which cost a total of almost 5 million DM, were only possible with massive state subsidies and generous contributions from private sources. Only a loan of 550,000 DM had to be taken out, resulting in only a slight raise in rent.
House 1 in its initial state with a flat roof
House 1 and 2 with roof extensions, before the construction of House 3
House 3 Construction
Since 2013, plans had been underway to construct an additional dormitory house in the immediate vicinity of Munich’s universities and colleges. These plans can again be traced back to the association’s long-time managing director Robert Jenisch.
Third phase of construction of the Schollheim
Due to the lack of vacant plots in central Munich, the construction of new housing is only possible by increasing the density of existing developments. Therefore, it was planned to build a new House 3 with 55 living spaces in the space between the existing House 1 and House 2, along Steinickeweg. While the construction plans were discussed with Werner Wirsing, and Eberhard Steinert became the executive architect of House 3 in cooperation with Tilmann Breitbach.
Fassade des Schollheims mit Haus 3 vom Steinickeweg aus (Ostseite)
After the completion of planning and receiving the building permit from the City of Munich, the construction of House 3 could start in July 2017 with the demolition of the old garages in the courtyard. During the construction period, some residents had to move out, as some rooms fell victim to the reconstruction. About two years later, in October 2019, the completed, new rooms could be occupied. With a ceremonial speech by Munich’s Lord Mayor Dieter Reiter (SPD), the new House 3 was officially inaugurated on January 14, 2020.
Facade of the Schollheim’s House 3 from Steinickeweg (east side).
Construction work in House 3
The cost of construction of House 3, the renovations to the existing buildings, the construction of the outdoor facilities and the furnishings amounted to approximately 6.6 million euros. More than half of this was raised by the non-profit association from its own funds and loans. The Free State of Bavaria contributed to the construction with a subsidy of about 40% of the costs.
Bauarbeiten im Haus 3 (zu sehen: normales Apartment)
Innenhof des Schollheims mit Dachterasse, im Hintergrund Westseite Haus 3
What is special about House 3 is that all the 55 new residential units, in contrast to those in House 1 and House 2, are small apartments. This means that each room is equipped with its own small kitchenette and bathroom. In addition, 13 of the 55 apartments have been designed as accessible housing units to make it easier for physically-impaired students to find affordable housing in Munich.
Inner courtyard of the Schollheim with roof terrace, in the background west side of house 3.
Renovations During House 3 Construction
The new House 3 is located between House 1 and House 2 and is therefore directly connected to both. Over the course of the House 3 construction, 20 rooms were also renovated in the Houses 1 and 2. Additionally, new sanitary facilities and the heating system was upgraded to the latest state of the art in Houses 1 and 2. In order to increase the safety of the residents, the current fire protection requirements were implemented in all three houses.
The inner courtyard was planted with greenery to make the view from the rooms more visually appealing and to create a comfortable outdoor space for student residents. A raised terrace with trees, shrubs and benches was also added in the courtyard. This space can now be used can be used in a variety of ways: as a beer garden, for parties and celebrations, or as a meeting place to promote the dorm’s sense of community.
Since bicycles are a popular means of transportation among students—they are inexpensive, flexible and environmentally friendly—bicycle storage rooms for all residents were also added with the construction of House 3.
Future Renovations
At present, a number of renovations are in progress: the fundamental replacement of distance windows, modern thermal insulation and measures to increase fire protection in Houses 1 and 2. These and other future renovations can be financed largely in thanks to previously generated repair reserves.
