Today, on 7 September 2021, the Studentenwerk Leipzig turns 100 years old! A round birthday connected to the eventful past.
Darning socks, arranging spa stays and, of course, providing accommodation and hot meals in the Mensa – over the course of the last 100 years the Studentenwerk Leipzig, or rather its predecessor, the "Wirtschaftsselbsthilfe der Leipziger Studenten" (Economic Self-Help Association of Leipzig Students), has always focused on the well-being of Leipzig's student population.
A look at its history shows that one of the main focuses of the Wirtschaftsselbsthilfeverein in times of inflation and food shortages after the First World War was, for example, to offer students at least one warm, inexpensive meal a day. Additionally, a loan fund supported students in need as early as the 1920s.
Today, providing Leipzig students with inexpensive and healthy food near the university is still one of the key tasks of the Studentenwerk. About 6,600 students currently receive BAföG funding through the Department of Grants (Amt für Ausbildungsförderung).
