Hafenplatz, in limbo

More than 1,300 people live at Kreuzberg’s Hafenplatz, close to Potsdamer Platz. Residents of former social housing live in the concrete pyramid built in the 1970s, along with refugees from Ukraine. The building’s central location promises high returns if it were to be demolished and rebuilt.

In early 2024, the owners presented plans for such a scenario at the district council committee. According to these plans, sufficient affordable housing would be preserved. However, the tenants’ initiative is sceptical, and an on-site inspection confirms their concerns: the living conditions at Hafenplatz are already disastrous, but the property management is indifferent to its structural and hygiene issues. After the prosecutor’s office launched an investigation against the main investor for “credit fraud“, building councillor Florian Schmidt halted negotiations and invited tenants to a meeting on-site.

The tenants of Hafenplatz are disappointed that their situation has not improved. For example, a family of four hopes to move from their studio into something larger. A Ukrainian family is unable to get a housing entitlement certificate because they have been waiting for their visas for a year now. The children face an uncertain future. Hafenplatz remains in limbo.