February 2023

The academies of science acatech, Leopoldina and the Union of German Academies of Sciences and Humanities have published an impulse paper entitled "Are blackouts in Germany likely? The researchers assume that "major power failures up to and including blackouts" are "unlikely" in Germany. However, they outline four measures to reduce the risks of large-scale blackouts in Germany.

Students can lose their entitlement to housing allowance if they take longer than necessary to complete their studies. This has now been decided by the Administrative Court of Berlin (VG 21 K 144/22). In the case at hand, a student who applied for housing allowance was in her 14th semester of studies and in her 20th semester of higher education. The application for housing allowance was rejected by the housing allowance authority of the...

Attention to detail, comfort and natural materials - according to the associations of the German furniture industry (VDM/VHK), these characteristics will be the trend in furniture in 2023. Modular solutions that allow numerous options are also in vogue. In terms of color choice, for example, the wood types ash and elm are currently being used with light colors such as white, beige or sand or powdery...

Wages rose faster than rents on average in Germany between 2015 and 2021. This is the result of the study on the "Affordability of Rents" by the Haus und Grund association. According to the study, the wages of full-time employees subject to social insurance contributions rose by a median of 14.2 percent to €3,525 over the period. In the same period, existing rents rose by 7.3 percent to 7.32...

The German Architecture Award 2023 is being offered by the Federal Ministry of Construction and the Chamber of Architects. Proposals for exemplary buildings or building ensembles can be submitted until 4 p.m. on Wednesday, March 29. These must have been built in Germany between January 1, 2021 and January 15, 2023. Proposals for buildings or building ensembles abroad can also be...

The energy supply and service company "enercity" reveals which aspects tenants should pay attention to when looking for an apartment and how they can uncover energy guzzlers. Among other things, tenants should check the apartment for spatial conditions, the condition of windows and doors, and for mold. In addition, they can find out about the condition of the heating system,...

For the time being, the community of heirs of Hedwig Adlon will not receive compensation for her hotel expropriation in November 1949, according to a decision by the Berlin Administrative Court (VG 29 K 131/20). Hedwig Adlon had been expropriated at the time as a result of the "Law on the Confiscation of Assets of War Criminals and Nazi Activists". According to the Berlin Administrative Court, she was charged with, among other things,...

The German Furniture Quality Association (DGM) advises customers to try out chairs and upholstered furniture before buying. Prospective buyers should take 30 minutes or more to test the new piece of furniture. According to DGM, they should not only check the individual seating comfort, but also take a closer look at the other features of the piece of furniture. Thereby...

The "Social Housing" alliance is calling on the federal government and the states to launch a joint "social housing offensive. The state must provide a special fund of 50 billion euros for social housing by 2025 in order to achieve the goal of 400,000 social housing units by the end of the legislative period. In 2022, only 20,000 social housing units had been built. In addition, the alliance demands...

Interested parties can apply for the Aerogel Architecture Award 2023 until Sunday, April 30, 2023 (11:59 p.m.). The category "Realized Solutions" is looking for internationally realized projects by architects and civil engineers in which aerogel is used in a special way. Students can submit their project ideas in the "Student Designs" category....