New building of the Bergmann Clinic: Which location is the best?

New building of the Bergmann Clinic: Which location is the best?

What's going on in Potsdam? The city is dealing with an explosive issue: the Ernst von Bergmann Clinic (EvB) is in urgent need of a new building or a comprehensive renovation. In recent months, the deficiencies in the hospital infrastructure have become particularly visible during the corona pandemic. These deficiencies even led to disease outbreaks and contributed to patient deaths. This not only has dramatic consequences for those affected, but also poses major challenges for politicians. The Maz Online reports that The Minister of Health, Britta Müller (SPD), made it clear that the state could not provide the financial resources for a new building. However, investments of several hundred million euros are unavoidable.

To clarify the future of the clinic, a commission commissioned a feasibility study that examined various location options for a new building. According to information from EvB health The new building could be realized in Kirchsteigfeld or Krampnitz, among other places. While Kirchsteigfeld is privately owned and there are plans for residential and commercial districts, there are concerns about accessibility and the traffic situation at the Krampnitz location. In addition, maintaining the clinic location in the city center would be a possible but costly option. The financial outlay for this would be around 1.7 billion euros.

Candidates in focus

In the upcoming mayoral election in Potsdam, which will take place on September 21, 2025, the seven candidates will present their opinions on the issue of the EvB's location. Severin Fischer (SPD) calls for careful consideration of accessibility and future viability. Clemens Viehrig (CDU) wants to keep hospital care in the city center and is in favor of using the city center location. For Dirk Harder from the Left, the current location would be the favorite because it guarantees easy accessibility for everyone. Chaled-Uwe Said (AfD) also criticizes the city council's actions and calls for the budget to be restructured before a decision is made on new construction. Michael Reichert (BVB/FW) also supports the location in the city center, while Alexander D. Wietschel from the party “The Party” thinks a location on the water makes sense in order to integrate boat traffic. Noosha Aubel, individual applicant, sees the new building best in a central location, but financial viability should be given priority.

The feasibility study, which was approved by the main committee of the state capital Potsdam in 2021, is proving to be an important basis for decisions relating to the clinic. The two-day workshop, designed to provide policymakers with comprehensive information about the results of the study, will take place today and tomorrow. Members of the supervisory board, clinic management and experts in infrastructure and construction planning also take part in this workshop. The aim of this consultation is to show the necessary investment needs and the possible solutions, which, however, cannot be borne by the city alone, according to the spokesman for the hospital's management, Hans-Ulrich Schmidt.

The upcoming decisions have enormous consequences for healthcare in Potsdam. While the city is hoping for a good hand from those in charge, it remains to be seen what specific steps can be taken. In view of the considerable investment sums that the city and the state will have to make, it will also be important how the financing can be regulated.