100 semesters of Studierendenwerk Bremen
One anniversary after another: No sooner has the University of Bremen wrapped up its 50th anniversary celebrations than Studierendenwerk Bremen, founded in 1972, begins its look back on a 50-year success story. Everyone at the university knows of Studierendenwerk, but most would be hard pressed to say where it is actually located. Some 300 employees make sure that everything runs smoothly for the 30,000 students at the four universities in the state of Bremen.
That goes first and foremost for the Mensas and cafeterias, which have always been among the best quality, even in a nationwide comparison. "Raw food, light food, vegetarian, vegan – these are elements of a healthy and improved food culture that have been on the menu in Bremen's Mensas since early on," says Maurice Mäschig, press officer at Studierendenwerk. When it comes to dishes, novelty and variety are top of mind. Thai food is on offer for those who want it, but the all-time favourite is a regional speciality: kale with smoked sausage. Even years after graduation, many students are still nostalgic for their Mensas and cafeterias, as evidenced on our Alumni Wall. After all, studying is also about what comes along with it.
Gone, however, are the days when students called a university strike over a 10-cent increase in the price of coffee. “Today we’re seeing more understanding amongst students for the economic constraints we face in our work," says Mäschig. "Of course there is also criticism, but we are in a regular exchange with AStA as well as other interest groups such as Fridays for Future and the Open Vegan Group.”
Studierendenwerk Bremen is an institution under public law, which includes the Office for Educational Support responsible for BAföG benefits as well as the operation of several student residences that house over 2,000 students. In April, the new Emmy residence will open on campus, offering 380 units with an all-inclusive rent of no more than 350 euros.
Less well known, but nevertheless significant, are the mental health and social counselling services that Studierendenwerk offers as a first point of contact on campus. The institution also supports cultural projects through its own Mensa parties and the traditional summer party in the Vorstraße dormitory, and through easy-to-apply grants for student-led cultural initiatives.
In Studierendenwerk’s 100 semesters, there have also been crises: financial problems in the 1980s, the Mensa fire in 2000 and most recently, the Corona pandemic. Crises from which the institution, as clichéd as it may sound, has emerged stronger and in a better position to continue helping to ensure that students are able to take up their studies in the first place and then to complete them.
