How it all began
- 09.10.1963 - a new association
In anticipation of the founding of the Technical University in Dortmund, some students join forces in the spirit of self-help and register the association "Studentenhilfe e.V.". - 16.12.1968 - Start of the University of Dortmund
After many years of discussion, Dortmund's first university is opened on the South Campus in the presence of Federal President Heinrich Lübke. - 02.01.1969 - Start of the "Studentenwerk an der Universität Dortmund e.V."
At the start of the Studierendenwerk there are three employees: Managing Director Gerd Klinkhammer, Deputy Managing Director Theodor Oecking and Secretary Ruth Hanselmann. A lecture hall building on the South Campus is the home and furniture is initially borrowed from the university for the first furnishings.
19 May 1969: The first Mensa meal
- 19.05.1969 - the first Mensa meal
Head chef Heinz Zitzmann serves the first 90 meals in the newly built Mensa Süd. There is only one dish on the menu: minced pork steak with boiled potatoes and Hungarian sauce. As the Ruhrnachrichten report, the very first canteen meal goes to library employee Helga Rohde. The ladles are still missing at the food counter and the food is delivered in thermal containers from the Hotel Krone, but from 1 July onwards the students finally cook themselves. - 1969 - the first hall of residence for students in Dortmund
The first hall of residence for students in Dortmund is built "Am Gardenkamp 51". The building on Campus South is still occupied by 130 students today - after a core renovation in 2009. - December 1969 - Christmas in a small circle
All 16 employees come to the 1969 Christmas party. The clientele consists of 25 (!) students of the University of Dortmund, the university staff and the civil servants of the neighbouring State Building Authority. No wonder the cook knows almost all the guests by their first names. If more than 100 meals are served in one day, the manager is proudly informed. - 1971 - the birth of BAföG
The new Federal Training Assistance Act - BAföG for short - replaces the "Honnef" or "Rhöndorf" model. The student unions are entrusted with the administration of the new law throughout Germany, and a new department is founded at the Studierendenwerk in Dortmund - the "BAföG Office". - 1971 - Start of catering at Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts
The Studierendenwerk's second refectory goes into operation. From now on, students at Dortmund University of Applied Sciences are also catered for. The facility on Rheinlanddamm initially has a serving area with some of its own production. After a reconstruction in 1985, the canteen can operate independently. Around 200 seats are available. - 1973 - new housing complexes at Baroper Straße
Two new housing complexes are built at the South Campus, more precisely at Baroper Straße 331 and 335, for the now significantly growing number of students. - 1974 - communal cooking on Ostenberg
When the new housing complex at Ostenberg 109 was occupied in the mid-1970s, it was also an expression of the attitude to life among students at the time: large communal kitchens characterised the togetherness in the building. The core renovation 2017-2019 will put an end to this. The system of large kitchens has become obsolete. After the renovation, the housing complex will mainly offer double flats with their own kitchen. - 1974 - Studierendenwerk opens canteen at the FH headquarters
The Studierendenwerk moves into the main building of the Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts on Sonnenstraße with a fully comprehensive canteen. 250 seats are available in the basement of the building. - 1974 - new legal ground
New law: In the course of the expansion of the German higher education landscape, the Studentenwerk Act is passed for the first time. As a result, the Studentenwerke are transformed from a registered association to an institution under public law (AöR) as of 1 March. Around 100 employees transfer from the association to the new AöR, which continues to exist today.
The student union learns to walk
- 1975 - more than 1,000 dormitory places
400 new dormitory places are added with the inauguration of the housing complex in Emil-Figge-Straße 3,7,9. This is the first time that the Student Housing Department's offer exceeds 1,000 places. Today, the Studierendenwerk manages over 2,800 places. - 1976 - a new home
The striking orange refectory building on the new North Campus is occupied. To this day, more than 15 facilities are united under this roof: six catering facilities - including the distinctive main canteen with 1,300 seats - the Service Centre for Student Housing and Student Financing/BAföG, the main administration and the central warehouse of the Studierendenwerk, InfoPoint, bank, bookshop, copy shop, IT shop and health insurance agency. - 1976 - Ciao Stammessen
The popular "Stammessen" (regular meal) in the main cafeteria is said goodbye. New on offer are menus with a free choice of side dishes at a fixed price - a system that has endured to this day. - 1977 - more than 20,000 students
For the first time in the still young history of the Studierendenwerk, the 20,000 student mark is broken. Today, the Studierendenwerk serves seven universities with more than 58,000 students. - 1978 - student life on Ostenberg
Three more buildings are opened on Ostenberg. Over 400 students now live in houses 97, 99, 101 and 109. To keep everything in order, the caretaker moves in with them in a separate flat. - 1981 - the million mark is broken
For the first time in the history of the Studierendenwerk, more than 1 million meals p.a. are sold. By way of comparison: in 1969, the year the student union was founded, 25,181 meals were sold. Today, more than 1.8 million meals are produced in the refectories every year. In addition, there are snacks and snacks between meals. - 1981 - more than 10,000 BAföG applications
For the first time in the company's history, the number of BAföG applications exceeds 10,000. In 1981, 11,530 applications are decided, and a total of 27,017 students are supported. And today? BAföG is still considered the most important source of finance for studying after the parental home - but the number of applications is continually falling: in 2017, only 10,753 applications for 58,554 students were processed with a decision. The call for a BAföG reform is therefore becoming louder and louder. - 1982 - Moving into Iserlohn
The association "Wohnheim Dr. Carl Sonnenschein e.V." hands over the hall of residence at Steubenstraße 14-18 in Iserlohn to the Studierendenwerk Dortmund. The hall of residence for students of the FH Südwestfalen is renovated in 1987 and since then has 43 places. - 1984 - new housing concepts
The student village is built right next to the library, the Audimax and the main cafeteria. This marks a departure from the classic design for student residences with single rooms, long corridors and communal kitchens. The new trend is for small, manageable accommodation units with space for 2-4 students. - 1986 - Help for the weakest: the "Freitisch"comes
The "Freitisch" is introduced. This is an offer for students in financial need to eat free of charge in the refectory. Free tables are still available today, the applications can be found in the InfoPoint. - 1992 - the village grows
The student village in the heart of the North Campus is so popular that in 1992 the excavators roll up again to expand the village. Today, the housing complex looks like one unit to the outside world. 445 students are at home here. - 1992 - a hall of residence in between
The construction of the hall of residence at Meitnerweg 3-16 creates a link between Campus South and Campus North. Almost 300 students move into the new buildings. - 1993 - small neighbour at Gardenkamp
The Studierendenwerk's first hall of residence, at Gardenkamp 51, gets a small neighbour. The new buildings, no. 53-55, provide space for 54 students. - 1994 - 25 years of the Studentenwerk
The Studentenwerk with its 286 employees (155 of them full-time) celebrates its 25th anniversary. - 01.01.1994 - a new law
A new Studentenwerk law comes into force, bringing with it a fundamental reform of the financing and responsibility structure: as largely independent companies, the Studentenwerke still enjoy financial support from the state of North Rhine-Westphalia - but they operate largely on their own responsibility according to commercial principles. - 1994 - second residence in Iserlohn
A small residence with 24 places is taken over in Ludorfstraße. The building is the second residence run by the Studierendenwerk in Iserlohn for students at the FH Südwestfalen.
Computer colleague moves in
- 1995 - Computers for BAföG calculation
Computers are used for the first time in the BAföG department to calculate funding. - 6.10.1995 - news from the building
On 6 October, the new housing complex at Emil-Figge-Straße 15-39 is inaugurated in the presence of Minister for Science and Research Anke Brunn. The low-cost living space close to campus is met with great interest: all 403 places are immediately sold out. - 1999 - a new day-care centre
The Studentenwerk builds a day-care centre on the South Campus that offers space for 60 children. The target groups are students and their children, but also the residents of the district. In 2017, the daycare centre will be expanded to 120 places. - 2001 - Free debt counselling for students
The Studierendenwerk starts a free debt counselling service in cooperation with the Diakonie - an offer that is still used today by students seeking help. - 01.07.2002 - Start in Soest
The Studierendenwerk opens the canteen at the Soest site of the newly founded University of Applied Sciences Südwestfalen. The university and the Studierendenwerk are thus taking over the old barracks complex and transforming the space and buildings into a charming, distinctive campus. From now on, almost 200 seats are available in the refectory. - May 2004 - the Sonnendeck opens
The Sonnendeck, a bistro-café on Dortmund's North Campus opens with 160 seats on two floors. Today, the food faculty is located in the same place, with room for around 200 guests. - April 2005 - the "da Vinci" in Meschede opens its doors
A bistro with changing daily specials and an appealing, businesslike interior - that's the "da Vinci" in the FH Südwestfalen building in Meschede, which goes into operation in 2005. - May 2005 - the main canteen shines in a new guise
After 18 months, the chapter "renovation of the Dortmund main canteen" can finally be declared closed. Completely new kitchen equipment, more light thanks to an open glass roof construction, eight new cashier stations and an enlarged guest area with mobile partition walls are the result. The presentation of the food has also improved considerably. - 2005 - Housing in Soest
The Studierendenwerk opens a hall of residence in Soest, directly opposite the campus of the FH Südwestfalen. - 2005 - a new law
With the amendment of the Studentenwerk law, the Studentenwerke now also have the possibility to found other companies or to acquire shares in companies. In addition, the Studentenwerke are now parties to collective agreements in the context of the TVÖD. - 2006 - Moving into the bfw
In order to increase the capacity of the halls of residence, rooms are rented in the Berufsförderungswerk (bfw) building in Hacheneyer Straße in Dortmund. The residents quickly appreciate the location with the neighbouring Rombergpark. - October 2006 - Start of the FernUni Hagen canteen
The Studierendenwerk Dortmund takes over operation of the canteen at the FernUni in Hagen. The new building in front of the administration building impresses with its bright interior and inviting terrace front. - January 2007 - everything new in the Sonnenstraße refectory
The central refectory at Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts, the Sonnenstraße refectory, is being thoroughly overhauled. New kitchen technology, a new lighting concept and new menus are being introduced. - November 2007 - we are online!
The Studentenwerk is now also online at www.stwdo.de in the net of unlimited possibilities. - April 2010 - everything "KostBar" at Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts
Students at Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts get a new gastronomic contact point: the Studierendenwerk opens the "KostBar" in the new lecture building Emil-Figge-Str. 40a on Campus North. - November 2011 - a new temple for burger lovers
After only four months of renovation, the gallery, the second largest facility in the refectory building on Campus North, reopens. The number of seats increases by 200 to now 540. Up to 5,000 guest contacts are registered per day since the reopening. Perennial favourites are the offerings from the fresh food counter, of course currywurst and fries as well as the freshly produced burgers. - 27.10.2012 - Dortmund's biggest breakfast
For the first time, the Studierendenwerk hosts Dortmund's biggest breakfast. Over 3,000 guests enjoy the rich buffet and then visit the Open Day at TU Dortmund University. The popularity of the Studierendenwerk's offer is so great that the breakfast is repeated every year from then on. - 2012 - Free canteen meals for students' children
The children's plate is introduced. With this offer, children up to the age of ten can receive lunch free of charge, provided the accompanying parent purchases a full meal. A prerequisite is also a child ID card from the university. Over 1,300 portions will be distributed in the first five years, with the Studierendenwerk bearing the costs.
From supplier to service provider
- 2013 - a logo and even more
The Studentenwerk gets a new logo. The three brush strokes representing the areas of catering (red), housing (green) and BAföG (blue) - the day-care centre was not included because it was founded later - are replaced by a modern word-picture mark. In addition, for the first time, the house is given a corporate design for a uniform external presentation. Annual reports, flyers, promotional items, etc. are completely revised and redesigned. - 2013 - no cash in the refectory
In cooperation with Sparkasse Dortmund, the cashless payment system is installed in the refectory. The area is to be successively expanded. - 2013 - the super construction year
With the new hall of residence at Gardenkamp No. 43,45 and the extensive renovation of the administrative offices in the refectory building and the "food fakultät" (former sun deck), 2013 goes down in the history of the Studierendenwerk as a "super construction year". - 01.10.2014 - the new Studierendenwerk law
The amendment to the law with a focus on gender equality comes into force. - 2015 - a new food guidance system in the refectories
New monitors at the serving points in the refectories provide information about the meals, their ingredients and prices. The system is maintained by central software. The Studierendenwerk websites and the apps of the universities also access the data. - April 2015 - a new name
Due to the new Studierendenwerk law, a name change has to be made. With immediate effect, the Studentenwerk Dortmund becomes the Studierendenwerk Dortmund. - 2016 - the refectory foyer in new splendour
XXL renovation: the entire foyer and the adjoining central toilet facilities in the refectory building are thoroughly renovated. New features since then include a water dispenser, a nappy-changing room, lockers and new top-up terminals for cashless payment in the refectories. The renovation is being carried out in two construction phases so that operations in the main cafeteria can continue. The foyer is visited by several thousand students every day. - 2017 - a new house for the day care centre
The Studierendenwerk day care centre on the south campus is being expanded with a new main building. The capacity will increase from 60 to over 120 places. The name of the facility is also new: "Kita 4 Jahreszeiten" becomes "Kita im Grünen, pädagogisches Zentrum am Campus". - 2018 - the refectory building becomes a "BBB"
The Studierendenwerk refectory building is included in the canon of "Big Beautiful Buildings". This award is presented by StadtBauKultur NRW and TU Dortmund University to honour distinctive buildings from the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. - 2019 - 50 years of Studierendenwerk
The transformation of the Studierendenwerk from a pure utility company to a modern service provider does not stop. Over 400 employees put themselves at the service of this task every day. To celebrate the company's anniversary, various activities are planned for students, guests and employees around the 50th birthday on 20 May 2019. - 2020 - Corona paralyses the campus
The worldwide spread of the Corona pandemic slows down life at universities in spring 2020 - all Studierendenwerk facilities are thus directly affected. For the first time in its history, all refectories will have to close, consultations will only be held by phone or email, and the day care centre will have to switch to emergency care in the meantime. Many employees are put on short-time work for months. The growing number of vaccinations administered gives hope that normality will return for the winter semester 21/22. - 02.09.2021 - 50 years of BAföG
For five decades, BAföG has been the most important source of state funding for students. But on the occasion of the anniversary, there is not only praise: the number of applications has been declining for seven years, also in Dortmund. Calls for reform are growing louder throughout Germany.
From supplier to service provider
- 2013 - a logo and even more
The Studentenwerk gets a new logo. The three brush strokes representing the areas of catering (red), housing (green) and BAföG (blue) - the day-care centre was not included because it was founded later - are replaced by a modern word-picture mark. In addition, for the first time, the house is given a corporate design for a uniform external presentation. Annual reports, flyers, promotional items, etc. are completely revised and redesigned. - 2013 - no cash in the refectory
In cooperation with Sparkasse Dortmund, the cashless payment system is installed in the refectory. The area is to be successively expanded. - 2013 - the super construction year
With the new hall of residence at Gardenkamp No. 43,45 and the extensive renovation of the administrative offices in the refectory building and the "food fakultät" (former sun deck), 2013 goes down in the history of the Studierendenwerk as a "super construction year". - 01.10.2014 - the new Studierendenwerk law
The amendment to the law with a focus on gender equality comes into force. - 2015 - a new food guidance system in the refectories
New monitors at the serving points in the refectories provide information about the meals, their ingredients and prices. The system is maintained by central software. The Studierendenwerk websites and the apps of the universities also access the data. - April 2015 - a new name
Due to the new Studierendenwerk law, a name change has to be made. With immediate effect, the Studentenwerk Dortmund becomes the Studierendenwerk Dortmund. - 2016 - the refectory foyer in new splendour
XXL renovation: the entire foyer and the adjoining central toilet facilities in the refectory building are thoroughly renovated. New features since then include a water dispenser, a nappy-changing room, lockers and new top-up terminals for cashless payment in the refectories. The renovation is being carried out in two construction phases so that operations in the main cafeteria can continue. The foyer is visited by several thousand students every day. - 2017 - a new house for the day care centre
The Studierendenwerk day care centre on the south campus is being expanded with a new main building. The capacity will increase from 60 to over 120 places. The name of the facility is also new: "Kita 4 Jahreszeiten" becomes "Kita im Grünen, pädagogisches Zentrum am Campus". - 2018 - the refectory building becomes a "BBB"
The Studierendenwerk refectory building is included in the canon of "Big Beautiful Buildings". This award is presented by StadtBauKultur NRW and TU Dortmund University to honour distinctive buildings from the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. - 2019 - 50 years of Studierendenwerk
The transformation of the Studierendenwerk from a pure utility company to a modern service provider does not stop. Over 400 employees put themselves at the service of this task every day. To celebrate the company's anniversary, various activities are planned for students, guests and employees around the 50th birthday on 20 May 2019. - 2020 - Corona paralyses the campus
The worldwide spread of the Corona pandemic slows down life at universities in spring 2020 - all Studierendenwerk facilities are thus directly affected. For the first time in its history, all refectories will have to close, consultations will only be held by phone or email, and the day care centre will have to switch to emergency care in the meantime. Many employees are put on short-time work for months. The growing number of vaccinations administered gives hope that normality will return for the winter semester 21/22. - 02.09.2021 - 50 years of BAföG
For five decades, BAföG has been the most important source of state funding for students. But on the occasion of the anniversary, there is not only praise: the number of applications has been declining for seven years, also in Dortmund. Calls for reform are growing louder throughout Germany.
The managing directors of the Studierendenwerk
Every development phase is directly linked to the names of the people involved. In an organisation like the Studierendenwerk, these are above all the managing directors.
- 1969-1977
Gerd Klinkhammer - 1977-1995
Theodor Oecking - 1995-2010
Rainer Niebur - 2010-2011
Günther Remmel (acting) - 2011-2018
Peter Hölters - Since 09/2018
Thomas Schlootz