Dining hall: Why it is so important politically

412 million euros turnover in 2024: Student unions are among the largest communal caterers in Germany

The student unions, which are organized by Deutsches Studierendenwerk (DSW) and are responsible for the dining halls at universities, emphasize the central role of the dining hall for the university campus. They are calling for funds to be made available for the refurbishment of dining halls and cafeterias via the 100 billion euro special infrastructure fund, in parallel with the federal government's planned fast-track university construction initiative.

The dining hall conference, the annual meeting of dining hall managers from all student unions, organized by Deutsches Studierendenwerk, begins today, Wednesday, 10 September 2025, in Rostock. It is hosted by the Rostock-Wismar Studierendenwerk; more than 170 dining hall experts are taking part. Bettina Martin (SPD), the Science Minister of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and Chair of the Conference of State Science Ministers, opens the dining hall conference with a political welcome address.

Kai Hörig, Managing Director of the hosting Studierendenwerk Rostock-Wismar: "The dining hall is the central location on campus. It has a crucial social function for campus life; the dining hall is an enormously important social meeting and exchange space for students. Studying without a dining hall is unthinkable. Even students on a tight budget can enjoy a balanced, healthy diet in a dining hall of the student unions. Many dining halls offer a daily meal for two euros or less, and many student unions offer free meals for students in need via their free tables."

Marco Abe is Managing Director of Studierendenwerk Stuttgart and also Chairman of the University Dining Committee of Deutsches Studierendenwerk. He explains: "The student unions operate 893 university dining facilities nationwide, including around 400 dining halls. With around 100 million meals served and a total turnover of around 412 million euros in 2024, the student unions are among the largest communal caterers in Germany.

The food selection in the dining hall follows sustainable, ecological and health-conscious guidelines - also because the students demand this on a massive scale. A growing proportion of vegetarian and vegan options, the switch to regional and seasonal products as well as certified organic offerings reflect social nutritional trends that are widely exemplified by students. The student unions are recognized pioneers of sustainability in communal dining; a glance at the dining hall plate shows how we should - and will - all eat in the future."

Matthias Anbuhl, Chairman of the Board of Deutsches Studierendenwerk, demands: "The coalition agreement of the black-red federal government states that the dining halls and cafeterias of the student unions are also to be renovated. Now the federal government and, above all, the federal states must join forces to tackle the renovation backlog in university construction that has been accumulating for decades. It affects all university buildings - lecture halls, laboratories, libraries, but especially the dining halls and cafeterias. Parallel to the Federal Government's planned fast-track university construction initiative, the special infrastructure fund, which provides the federal states with 100 billion euros, must also be used to renovate the dining halls and cafeterias."