With this annual report, the 42nd since the foundation of the Studentenwerk Oberfranken, we would like to inform our partners at the universities, the state institutions supervising the Studentenwerk and all interested persons and institutions about the most important events and figures of the 2020 financial year.

The annual report provides information on all important developments and economic data of the past year and shows which problems will have to be dealt with by the Studentenwerk Oberfranken in the near future.

The all dominant topic of the 2020 financial year was certainly the corona crisis and the ways to cope with this exceptional situation. After the first big shock caused by the complete closure of all catering facilities, an extremely efficient crisis intervention team was immediately formed, which quickly and smoothly dealt with all other problems in connection with the corona pandemic. One example of many is the application for short-time work allowance, which posed a previously unknown challenge for the Upper Franconian student union as a state institution. My special thanks go to all the employees of the Studentenwerk, who in this time of crisis, through their great commitment, extraordinary expertise and tireless personal commitment, have contributed to the fact that the Studentenwerk Oberfranken reliably fulfills its task of supplying students and staff at all university locations, even during the corona crisis could meet.

The further development of the universities and the associated establishment of a social infrastructure at new locations will be the defining topic for the next few years. In this way, new study locations are being created in Kulmbach, Kronach and Coburg, the provision of which will be a major challenge for the Upper Franconian Student Union with food, housing and advisory services. It can only be hoped that the state grants of the Free State of Bavaria to the student unions will not fall victim to coping with the corona crisis in whole or in part, and that the student unions will have sufficient funds to fulfill their tasks in the future.

With its work, the Studentenwerk Oberfranken is an indispensable and important factor for students to successfully complete their studies. The Studentenwerk will continue to do everything in its power to ensure that the motto “To make studying succeed”, under which all German student unions work, remains a reality for the students in Upper Franconia.

Josef Tost, managing director