Demolition halt at SEZ
Our beloved SEZ is being destroyed! The valuable building fabric, worth tens of millions of euros—worth preserving and easily reusable—is
Our beloved SEZ is being destroyed! The valuable building fabric, worth tens of millions of euros—worth preserving and easily reusable—is being damaged before the city can even begin to discuss whether to preserve all or part of the SEZ. And apparently without any legal basis!
Nationwide and even internationally, universities have announced major projects for next year that will focus on a creative future for the SEZ.
Creativity no longer seems to be in demand in Berlin. Will Berlin become a city of monstrous new buildings without any social infrastructure?
We demand an immediate halt to the demolition work!
A police operation, the intervention of the district authorities, and our vigil on November 28, 2025, have led to the temporary suspension of the demolition work. Meanwhile, our petition to preserve the SEZ has grown to 22,790 signatures!
District halts demolition work at SEZ and calls for demolition moratorium
Yesterday, Thursday, the district building authority received information about demolition work on the former SEZ site (Landsberger Allee 77).
The building inspectorate has not yet received a demolition notice from WBM or a demolition permit. Following an on-site visit this morning, WBM officials were ordered to halt construction. Only repair work, construction, and traffic safety measures may still be carried out.
Florian Schmidt, District Councilor for Construction, Planning, and Cooperative Urban Development: “I have always been in favor of preserving the SEZ, especially since it has now been proven that housing construction and preservation are not mutually exclusive. It is regrettable that WBM, on behalf of the Senate, is now taking measures that appear to be the prelude to demolition. I appeal to the Senate and the Berlin House of Representatives to declare a moratorium on demolition. The question of whether or not the SEZ has a future should be clarified by the future state government.”
Ultimately, the demolition work was stopped in time and the district office has now imposed a building freeze.
Even though parts of the facade and roof were removed, the structural integrity of the building does not appear to have been seriously compromised. Many thanks to the residents who brought this to our attention!