A former GDR socialist housing estate containing 2,904 housing units for about 5,900 residents in 10 super-blocks of five‐storey Plattenbauten (prefabricated panel buildings), spanning an area of 37 hectares.  

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Construction: 1986-1991

The Drewitz  housing complex is located on the south-eastern outskirts of the city of Potsdam and was built in the late 1980s as one of the last new development areas in the former GDR.

Drewitz was state-owned and administered by the VEB Gebäudewirtschaft until reunification in 1990.

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In 1990, GEWOBA is created as a housing company tasked with the administration of the state-owned municipal housing stock administered by VEB Gebäudewirtschaft.

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Late 1990s: Social erosion of the district begins. The opening of one of the largest Brandenburg shopping centers in adjacent lot. The few shops along the main street close. Middle-class households move out. 

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Drewitz today has around 5,300 residents living in about 2.904 housing units: Of these, 1,645 are in the property of Propotsdam  

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Other landlords in the area are the Bundesamt für Immobilienan-gelegenheiten, housing cooperatives Potsdamer Wohnungsbaugenossenschaft eG, Wohnungsgenossenschaft 1956 e G, and the largest operating cooperative in Potsdam, Wohnungsgenossenschaft “Karl Marx” Potsdam eG), private housing company Semmelhaack, and other private owners (usually owner-occupied).

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In 2006, GEWOBA becomes a 100 percent subsidiary of the municipal housing company ProPotsdam.

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In 2009, the municipal housing company ProPotsdam GmbH, which is the largest owner in Potsdam with 17,00 housing units, and in Drewitz with around 1,640 apartments, launches a project to transform the estate into a “garden city”. In 2011, a Master Plan is presented to Drewitz residents. In 2013, the Master plan is bundled together into an integrated energy and climate protection concept to make Drewitz a green, emission-free district by 2050.

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The plan involves following elements: 

- Energy efficiency: access-free retrofit of all existing housing blocks to the highest energy efficiency standards

- Konrad-Wolf Park: Removal of 2.5 hectares of roadway cutting between the estate, replaced in 2014 by a wide linear park with variegated trees, shrubs, fountains and playgrounds.

- Promenade and “Green Cross”: Demolition of a portion of the “Rolle” to open up a green promenade that crosses the Konrad-Wolf-Park. At intersection, town square, a playground and a cafè.

- Traffic reduction: Narrowing of the road reducing through-traffic considerably, elimination of a number of parking spaces.

- Parking space management: allocation according to social criteria (number of children in the household, disabilities, age-related impairments).

- Living and mobility: tenants receive an annual bus and tram ticket with their rental contract.

- Quality and appearance of housing blocks is significantly enhanced. Housing units with a large variety of floor plans to accommodate different demands.

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By 2023, redevelopment has been completed for three blocks, plus one block immediately adjacent to Drewitz (Gausstr. 51-58)

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- Pilotblock (2011-2014) Konrad-Wolf-Allee 14-24, Eduard-von-Winterstein-Str. 1-13, Guido-Seeber-Weg 2-8

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- Rolle (2015-2019) Konrad-Wolf-Allee 13-63

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- Quartier 8 (2015-ongoing), (Guido-Seeber-Weg 1-7, Guido-Seeber-Weg 9-15, Erich-Pommer-Str. 2-6, Hans-Albers-Str. 8-12) 

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- Gaußstraße 51-58 (2018-2020)

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As a result of the regeneration of properties in the hands of Propotsdam, three major blocks were renovated starting in 2012. These amount to a total of 534 housing units, of which about 70% (370) are subsidized units (WBS and WBS 2).

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This represents about one-third of housing units owned by Propotsdam in Drewitz.

 

According to figures provided by the independent tenant advisorship Mieterberatung Drewitz, the retention quota of longstanding residents in the first 3 phases of the project was at around 90%, with following detailed figures: 

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Pilotblock (140 tenants):

- 66% returned to the same block after redevelopment /

- 90% returned to other available housing units in Drewitz/Stern

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Rolle Konrad-Wolf-Allee 13-63 (99 tenants):

- 53% returned to the same block after redevelopment 

- 92% returned to other available housing units in Drewitz/Stern

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Quartier 8 (94 tenants)

- 53% returned to the same block after redevelopment 

- 96% returned to other available housing units in Drewitz/Stern

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Gaußstr. 51 - 58 (62 tenants)

- 80% returned to the same block after redevelopment 

- 95% returned to other available housing units in Drewitz/Stern

 

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We Drewitzers may not have much, but we are very pleased and content with what we have...  And everyone here supports one another... Here, we are all former GDR residents. This togetherness is a legacy of the GDR times. And thank God we have this; it's rare these days. 

(interview 2022, longtime tenant) 

 

Suppose we asked someone "Would you want the road back? We can remove the park and rebuild the street” People would think we are crazy! And yet, ten years ago things were different...

(interview 2022, tenant and member of the Bürgervertretung) 

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The regeneration has been very good, but … they should not have taken down the trees. I was in tears as they said that the trees must go .

(interview 2022, longtime tenant) 

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You find no parking, and the same goes for visitors. And if one wants to even give a neighbour a little help with shopping and so on, has to stand second row, and before he knows it, he gets a parking ticket, or has his car towed away. There are some parking spaces, but they are absolutely too few. 

(interview 2021, longtime tenant) 

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Here, children grow up in an environment where it is common to leave the house, hop on your bike, and ride to the city. The streetcar then becomes normal in that the youngsters board it and ride it to the city.

(interview 2022, tenant and member of the Bürgervertretung) 

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There are no luxury apartments here, there are no rich people who move to Drewitz... People here have very little money, and many jobs. So there are relatively few unemployed, but many who have two or three mini-jobs to make ends meet.

(interview 2022, spokeperson, Stadtkontor) 

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For years Drewitz has been a social hotspot. There have always been many disadvantaged people living on social benefits here, and also have the largest proportion of migrants. My predecessor was very committed to this idea of creating a district school that is combined with a community centre. It was a hard fight...But then she was able to convince the mayor, showed him the advantages and he thought it was great and supported it (...) And this school is unique in Potsdam.

(interview 2021, school director) 

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The best indicator is the school. It used to be a troublesome school, but today its reputation is so high that they get more applicants than available spots, especially from neighbouring districts.

(interview 2021, Propotsdam spokesperson)

 

For years, people have worried that redevelopment would bring gentrification, but the reality is that, since we are redeveloping using State subsidies, we allocate 75% of the housing to people on social benefits, so the danger is rather that this may create new social segregation, and we must keep this in mind. (…) 

(interview 2021, Propotsdam spokesperson)

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