“The Dorf”
City life . Culture . Student lifeOlympic Village? As a student accommodation? Living in an 850.000 square meter park? My curiosity ignited Multiple trains of thought as soon as I saw the email informing me I would live in a two-floor bungalow in the Olydorf for six months.
The city of Munich has been facing a housing crisis for a few years now. According to Munich: population 2022 | Statista, the population stably grows by around 1%(sometimes more) each year; last year, the population increased by more than 30K. The average price of a decent place in the city starts at 1200, and I, as an unemployed student, definitely cannot afford that.
However, I was lucky enough to be placed in the Olydorf. The Olympisches Dorf was constructed for the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich as athletes’ housing during the games; after 1973, the former male section became a neighborhood, and the female area is used as a student housing area, or the Studentendorf that I have been living in during my time here. The house consists of two floors: a kitchen, a living room, and a bathroom on the first, a bedroom, and a balcony on the second. The house is considered more than comfortable for one person, and because it is a student accommodation provided by the government, I only paid 370 per month, including electricity and water, which is a bargain.
Because all of the residents here are students, this village is a little bit special; there is always something going on, even on weekdays. I never felt alone during my time here since all of my friends lived no longer than two minutes away. Each Bangalow has been built next to the others, so I got to know my neighbor very well and even became best friends with my next-door neighbor—moreover, the dorf hosts regular social events like clubs, parties, barbecues, and much more. To be honest, it doesn’t seem so special during that time. But now that I am about to move out, I realize how much of an invaluable experience I have gained here.
I will miss taking turns cooking dinner with my neighbors, walking back and forth from the Dorf library to grab snacks, the loud residences, five trips to Edeka in a day, My daily run in the park, and especially this version of myself in the Olympisches Dorf.
The Dorf is the actual highlight of my exchange semester.
Thank you, Olympisches Dorf, beautiful times.