Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier recently defended the significant costs associated with the ongoing renovation of Schloss Bellevue. During a ZDF summer interview, he explained that the 250-year-old castle requires extensive work because its structural integrity is compromised, citing issues such as limited load-bearing capacity in the ceilings. According to Steinmeier, the building can no longer function as a representative seat in its current state.
Furthermore, the President opposed the idea of adding auxiliary structures to the complex. Instead, a separate facility will house the employees. However, he pointed out that this existing building, which was inaugurated in the 1990s, was completed under conditions that he described as “simply unacceptable,” particularly concerning fire safety. Steinmeier noted that bringing this structure up to current standards is the biggest contributor to the overall project expense.
While the nearly one-billion-euro renovation of Schloss Bellevue is underway, the Federal President has since moved into a temporary residence located in the Berliner Spreebogen area.
