Steinmeier moves to temporary official residence during renovation of Schloss Bellevue

Immediately after moving in, Steinmeier carried out his first official act in the new building. He presented dismissal certificates to the ministers who had been replaced by the new federal government under Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz (CDU). He then presented appointment certificates to their successors.

With the handover of the certificates, the change of government previously approved by the Bundestag was also formally completed. Upon receiving their dismissal certificates, the ministers concerned left office, and the new officeholders officially took up their positions upon receiving their appointment certificates. The ceremony follows a protocol observed for decades.

Background to the renovation

According to the Office of the Federal President, the relocation of the official residence is necessary because Schloss Bellevue requires extensive refurbishment. The work concerns, among other things, fire protection, building services, and the restoration of rooms in line with heritage-preservation requirements. Initially, no detailed information was provided about the total costs or the exact duration of the work.

Schloss Bellevue, completed in 1786 as the summer residence of Prince August Ferdinand of Prussia, has served as the official residence of the Federal President since 1994. It is located in Berlin’s Tiergarten, not far from the main railway station, and is one of the few city palaces from the 18th century to have remained largely intact in its original form in the postwar period.

Steinmeier took office as Federal President in 2017 and began a second term in 2022. He also intends to hold his public appointments and receptions at the new location during the current renovation. The Office of the Federal President announced that the relocation would not impair the authority’s ability to carry out its work.

Significance for the operation of the office

With the symbolic handover of the keys, the temporary official residence is now fully operational. Those responsible expect the construction work to be carried out in several phases, with regular operations at Schloss Bellevue resuming only after its completion. Until then, the temporary location remains the political center of Germany’s senior leadership.

Observers see the swift relocation as a sign that official business is to continue without interruption. The fact that the dismissal and appointment of ministers took place as the first act in the new official residence underscores the continuity of the president’s duties and the significance of the personnel change at the head of the federal government.

The Office of the Federal President will provide information on future work and any possible date for returning to the renovated Schloss Bellevue in due course. Until then, preparations are focused on the construction phase, which, according to the Office of the Federal President, will take several months.