President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has taken up his new official residence on Spreebogen at Elisabeth-Abegg-Straße, near Berlin Central Station. This move was necessitated by the fact that his previous official residence, Schloss Bellevue, requires comprehensive renovation.
The extensive refurbishment project is currently estimated to take up to eight years to complete. Consequently, Steinmeier will not return to Schloss Bellevue during his current term, which ends in 2027. Furthermore, his successor will only be able to utilize the long-held seat of the head of state if they are elected for a second term after five years.
Schloss Bellevue has served as the President’s primary official residence since 1994. The entire complex, including the administrative building, main gate, external grounds, and infrastructure, is undergoing a fundamental overhaul. The estimated cost for this massive renovation totals around 600 million Euros. Once the President returns to Bellevue, the new building located at Elisabeth-Abegg-Straße is scheduled to be made available for use by other federal agencies.
The high cost of the renovation has attracted criticism. The Association of Taxpayers expressed doubts about whether the projected millions would ultimately be sufficient. However, the Federal Presidential Office maintained that the extensive renovation of the palace was necessary in its current scope.
