17 August 2026

Extensive refurbishment and extension works have been completed

Photo: Studierendenwerk Thüringen

The refurbishment and extension work on the Weinberghof canteen on the Nordhausen campus has been completed, and the refurbished canteen was officially opened on 14 August 2026. The aim of the building work was to increase the number of seats. This was in response to the fact that the canteen often reached its capacity limits at lunchtime and during „peak hours“. Before the renovation, the Weinberghof canteen had 216 seats; it can now accommodate 400 guests.

In the existing building, the flooring was refurbished and the food serving area was expanded and improved to make it more functional. A new layout ensures that guests are less likely to get in each other’s way. „In the past, from my office I could see the queue – the legendary queue – that used to form outside the canteen, and so gauge whether it was even worth going there. The situation is much better now. It’s always worth going for a meal now,“ says Prof. Dr Jörg Wagner, President of Nordhausen University of Applied Sciences.

A new two-storey extension has been added to this existing building. As well as providing new seating areas, it also houses a crockery return point with an adjoining sink, as well as a technical area. New sanitary facilities have been installed. A redesigned courtyard has been created between the canteen of the Thuringia Student Union and the main lecture theatre at Nordhausen University of Applied Sciences.

The construction work cost a total of 3.5 million euros. The Free State of Thuringia covered the entire cost. „During your time at university, life revolves around a few key places: the lecture theatre, the seminar room, your own desk and the library. The canteen is one of them too; it’s what makes a campus a campus. It’s where you meet up, chat and exchange ideas. I am therefore all the more delighted that there is now more space available for this in the Nordhausen canteen. After all, a good study environment is created not only by the knowledge imparted during your studies, but also by the spaces on campus,“ says Thuringia’s State Secretary for Science, Prof. Dr Steffen Teichert.

Torsten Schubert, Managing Director of the Thuringia Student Services Organisation, also emphasises how important the canteen is to campus life: „Our aim is to ensure a good quality of life on campus. That is why we are using the extension to create a place where people can spend time even outside the canteen’s opening hours.“ Soon – by the 2026/2027 winter term at the latest – the new building will be open from 7 am to 8 pm, and vending machines stocked with drinks and snacks are also set to follow. „We know how much it helps students to have a place to study and socialise.“

Construction began in February 2023. The kitchen remained in operation throughout the entire construction period. This ensured a continuous supply of food and meant that a temporary arrangement – such as serving meals in a marquee – could be avoided. To enable the refurbishment of the old dining hall whilst the canteen remained open, a temporary serving area was set up in the new section of the building. The passageway between the two sections of the building was sealed off and protected so that no contaminants, such as dust, could enter the areas used for serving food.

„Scrambled eggs with creamed leeks and parsley potatoes“, „Beetroot fritters with spinach sauce“ and „Crispy chicken cutlets with potato salad“ are just some of the dishes on the menu over the next few days. Please feel free to find out more online Take a look at the full menu and do pop into the Weinberghof canteen.

(Source: Studierendenwerk Thüringen)