Work begins on renovation and extension of Himbeerpalast
The Himbeerpalast is one of the landmarks of the city of Erlangen – and soon to become one of FAU’s iconic buildings. The Free State of Bavaria has acquired the building on behalf of FAU in order to establish a new, modern location for the humanities, currently based in the Bismarckstraße.
The necessary renovation and extension works started officially on Monday, November 4, 2024. As stated by Bavaria’s Science Minister Markus Blume during the official ceremony, the Bavarian state government is investing nearly half a billion euros in the project. One highlight of the future Center of Humanities and Social Sciences: the long-awaited humanities library, incorporating 30 individual branch libraries.
Bavarian’s Science Minister Blume gives the official go-ahead for construction works
A dream is set to come true by the end of this decade for the humanities and social sciences at FAU: With the combination of the fully renovated Himbeerpalast and a new lecture hall complex in the Henkestraße in Erlangen, students and researchers can look forward to moving into new state-of-the art buildings with cutting-edge infrastructure. Markus Blume, Bavarian State Minister of Science and the Arts, Prof. Dr. Joachim Hornegger, FAU President, Christian Zens, FAU Chancellor, and Dr. Florian Janik, mayor of Erlangen, joined Prof. Dr. Kay Kirchmann, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities, Social Sciences, and Theology, Jan Knippel, head of the State Construction Office Erlangen-Nürnberg, and students’ representative Michael Ruppert to symbolically mark the beginning of renovation work on November 4, 2024 by tearing down a plasterboard wall.
In his welcome speech, Prof. Hornegger not only thanked the Bavarian state government for this unique opportunity, but also the State Construction Office Erlangen-Nuremberg, the University administration and last but not least all students and members of the Faculty of Humanities, Social Sciences, and Theology for their hard work and contributions to this once in a lifetime project. At the same time, Prof. Hornegger gave a promise: “It will not be an ivory tower, but rather a place for dialog, for teaching and learning, for listening and debate. Our FAU considers itself a platform of freedom of expression and this is now the physical reflection of this reality – within our university, but also in and together with the city and its population.”
Bavaria’s Science Minister Markus Blume was particularly enthusiastic about the Erlangen spirit and the speed of change in Erlangen and underlined the high sums of money the Free State of Bavaria has invested in Erlangen for FAU: “Historical from the outside, visionary from the inside: We are launching our FAU megaproject and are giving the humanities and social sciences at FAU a new home covering roughly 30,000 square meters in the iconic Himbeerpalast in Erlangen. It is here that Siemens helped write the economic history of the Federal Republic of Germany. In future, it is here that FAU will write academic history. The Himbeerpalast will be at the core of the University’s new Humanities Center. The renovation will benefit both the University and the city, not only preserving a unique historical building but also making a valuable contribution towards protecting the environment. In this project alone, we are investing more than 450 million euros in excellent conditions for excellent research and teaching – for all FAU’s planned construction works more than two billion euros in total.”
In a discussion panel the various perspectives on the project were aired: FAU Chancellor Christian Zens referred to the immense process of concentration as a decade of change for FAU starting with the move to the Himbeerpalast. The approximately 30,000 square meters will provide room for a humanities library, merging 30 branch libraries with stock of approximately 680,000 books. Central institutions such as the Language Centre or the Center for Teacher Education will also move in to the Himbeerpalast. The majority of the space will, however, be dedicated to research and teaching in the humanities and social sciences. Subjects and staff from approximately a dozen other locations will be housed together in the Himbeerpalast in future.
Dean Kirchmann is particularly pleased about the welcoming atmosphere and highly attractive location for researchers, teaching staff and learners – with experimental areas and modern office and working spaces equipped with the perfect technical facilities for teaching now and in the future. The top location close to the University restaurant and Erlangen city center with direct connections to public transport, and therefore links to the other FAU locations, is a major advantage from his point of view.
Erlangen’s mayor Dr. Florian Janik stressed the significance of the Himbeerpalast as home to the Faculty of Humanities, Social Sciences, and Theology from the aspect of the redevelopment of the city of Erlangen. The redevelopment of the “Siemens Center” district and the new “axis of knowledge” between the Himbeerpalast and FAU’s Kollegienhaus along Sieboldstraße and Fahrstraße will have a decisive impact on Erlangen city center. Janik also welcomes the project as a major milestone setting the course for economy, research, academia and infrastructure in Erlangen.
For Jan Knippel, head of the State Construction Office Erlangen-Nuremberg, renovation and extension works of this extent in a listed building will entail several challenges in the years to come. For him, it is particularly important that construction work continues to progress swiftly and in keeping with the speed typical for projects in Erlangen.
Students’ representative Michael Rupert is optimistic and hopeful about the project. He underlined the opportunities the Himbeerpalast offers for becoming an outstanding location for students of the humanities and social sciences, with the various disciplines benefiting from their physical proximity and offering students and teaching staff modern equipment for a wide range of different teaching methods.
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