Power Outage Disrupts Operations at Free University of Berlin

On the morning of March 3, 2025, several buildings at the Free University of Berlin experienced a significant power outage, rendering them inaccessible. The blackout affected multiple locations on the Dahlem campus, including facilities located on Arnimallee, Takustraße, and Grunewaldstraße.

The university's IT infrastructure was also impacted, leading to a partial failure of its website and hindering email communications for staff members. An official spokesperson stated that the cause of the outage is currently under investigation.

Technicians are reportedly working diligently to restore electricity and systems. The Lankwitz and Düppel campuses remain unaffected by the outage.

Initial findings suggest that a fault in the energy supply may have triggered the blackout, although there are no indications of a cyberattack. By late morning, some parts of the university's website were restored, but several buildings continued to lack power. Shared facilities, such as libraries and other services, have either closed for the day or are operating with limited hours.

The affected areas house various departments, including Chemistry, Physics, Zoology, and Pharmacy. The university has communicated that scientific experiments are being safeguarded, particularly those involving biological samples that could be compromised due to temperature fluctuations caused by the outage. However, the extent of any long-term damage remains unclear.

The disruption poses serious implications for ongoing research, as frozen biological specimens may thaw, and data from active experiments could be lost. The university's central computing facility, ZEDAT, was also impacted by the power loss, affecting a sizable number of individuals. The Free University of Berlin serves 39,300 students and employs approximately 4,700 personnel across research, administration, and teaching roles.

While outages similar to this have previously raised concerns about potential cyber threats, current assessments do not support those claims. In recent years, the Berlin University of Technology and the Natural History Museum also faced similar disruptions, prompting speculation about security vulnerabilities.