Baugenossenschaft "Freie Scholle" zu Berlin eG

What Baugenossenschaft "Freie Scholle" zu Berlin eG does

Baugenossenschaft "Freie Scholle" zu Berlin eG is a registered member-owned housing cooperative (Genossenschaft) founded in 1895 in Berlin, Germany, and the third-oldest housing cooperative in Berlin. It operates multiple residential settlements across Berlin's northern Reinickendorf district — Tegel, Lübars, Alt-Wittenau, Rosentreterpromenade, and Ziekowstraße — with a recent new construction at Lilienthals Hofgarten in Tegel. The cooperative serves thousands of members who hold shares and rent housing units; it is currently under an admission stop (Aufnahmestopp) and is not accepting new members.

The cooperative's product portfolio centres on residential housing management, delivered through a small digital surface consisting of a Mitgliederportal (member portal), an online rental portal (Wohnungsangebote), a guest apartment booking calendar (Belegungskalender), and a SEPA direct debit payment service. Physical assets include a Jugendfreizeitstätte (youth recreation centre), a Seniorentagesstätte (senior day care facility), and numerous community facilities. Community life is coordinated by an elected Beirat (Advisory Board) established in 1912 and anchored by the annual Schollenfest, which draws approximately 15,000 visitors. The technology stack is modest and built/maintained via partner for4mance; there is no mobile app, no public API, and no AI/ML components.

The revenue model is subscription-recurring and undisclosed: members pay share-based membership fees and monthly rent, plus ancillary fees for guest apartment reservations. The cooperative is governed under the German Cooperative Act (Genossenschaftsgesetz) through a Representative Assembly (Vertreterversammlung), a Supervisory Board (Aufsichtsrat), and a Board of Directors (Vorstand). A small administrative team of 12 employees manages the entire portfolio. The cooperative is a member of the BBU Verband Berlin-Brandenburgischer Wohnungsunternehmen audit association, a regulatory obligation, and was certified as a dual-education training company (Ausbildungsbetrieb) by IHK Berlin in 2023. Ownership lies entirely with members; there are no external shareholders, no funding rounds, and no venture capital backing.

Name

Baugenossenschaft "Freie Scholle" zu Berlin eG

Legal name

Baugenossenschaft "Freie Scholle" zu Berlin eG

Website

https://freiescholle.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1895

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Baugenossenschaft "Freie Scholle" zu Berlin eG is a 130-year-old member-owned housing cooperative managing multiple residential settlements across Berlin's Reinickendorf district. It provides affordable housing, community facilities, and digital member services to thousands of cooperative members under a current admission stop.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Residential Housing Cooperative Services

NAICS

Lessors of Residential Buildings and Dwellings (53111)

SIC

Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Cooperative (Co-op) Housing Association Management (BPAJAHAC)

Keywords

• Cooperative housing services
• Residential property management
• Affordable rental housing
• Community housing cooperative
• Berlin housing association

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin (Tegel)

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Members pay membership fees to join the cooperative and receive housing services in return
2. Rental Income: Monthly rent payments from members for residential units managed by the cooperative
3. Guest Apartment Fees: Members can reserve guest apartments through the member portal for a fee

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Baugenossenschaft "Freie Scholle" zu Berlin eG is a member-owned housing cooperative that provides affordable residential housing to its members across multiple Berlin settlements. Members purchase shares in the cooperative and pay monthly rent for housing units, while also accessing community facilities including guest apartments, a youth recreation center, a senior day care facility, and the annual Schollenfest community celebration. The cooperative operates under an admission stop and is governed by a Vertreterversammlung, Aufsichtsrat, and Vorstand as required by German cooperative law.

Product overview

Baugenossenschaft "Freie Scholle" zu Berlin eG operates as a traditional housing cooperative offering a comprehensive suite of residential services through its digital platform and physical facilities. The core offering centers on apartment management through the Mitgliederportal, complemented by apartment listings (Wohnungsangebote) and guest apartments (Gästewohnungen) for members. Community life is supported through the Jugendfreizeitstätte (youth recreation center) and Seniorentagesstätte (senior day care), while the elected Beirat (advisory council) organizes the annual Schollenfest and other community events. The cooperative maintains multiple residential settlements across Berlin's Tegel, Lübars, Rosentreterpromenade, Alt-Wittenau, and Ziekowstraße areas, with recent development projects including Lilienthals Hofgarten and PikoPark.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cooperative Housing Membership (Genossenschaftliche Wohnungen)
• Gästewohnungen (Guest Apartments)

Quantifiable outcome

• Annual Schollenfest attracts approximately 15,000 visitors and 1,000+ participants in the torchlight procession
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BBU Verband Berlin-Brandenburgischer Wohnungsunternehmen e. V.coreOthersPrüfungsverband (audit association) as required by German cooperative law (Genossenschaftsgesetz). The cooperative is obligated to belong to an audit association that has been granted auditing rights. BBU provides regulatory compliance and audit services.
• DOMUS Consult Wirtschaftsberatungsgesellschaft mbHminorOthersAppointed Data Protection Officer (Datenschutzbeauftragter) for the cooperative as required by GDPR.
• LichtBlickminorOthersEnergy provider supplying exclusively ecoelectricity (Ökostrom) for all cooperative buildings since January 2017, supporting sustainability goals.
• Jugendfreizeitstätte / Waidmannsluster Damm 80coreOthersYouth recreation center operated by the cooperative for children and youth activities. Meeting place for Advisory Board monthly meetings.
• SeniorentagesstättecoreOthersSenior day care facility operated by the cooperative for elderly residents.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• Stiftung TRIAS: German foundation supporting cooperative and community-oriented housing models. Comparable as an ecosystem enabler for cooperative housing in Germany, including advocacy and project funding.
• BBU Verband Berlin-Brandenburgischer Wohnungsunternehmen e.V. Industry association to which Freie Scholle belongs as its mandatory Prüfungsverband (audit association). Comparable as the cooperative's regulatory and industry representation counterpart.

Broad incumbents

• Deutsche Wohnen SE: Major Berlin-focused residential landlord (now under Vonovia) with a comparable tenant base and rental model, but operating as a large for-profit corporation rather than a cooperative.
• Vonovia SE: Europe's largest residential real estate company with a major Berlin portfolio (post-Deutsche Wohnen merger). Operates in the same residential rental space but at vastly greater scale and as a listed for-profit entity.

Direct peers

• degewo: Major Berlin housing company managing tens of thousands of apartments with similar focus on affordable residential housing. Direct comparison in residential property management scale and Berlin market dynamics.
• Gewobag: Berlin's largest municipal housing company managing over 75,000 apartments. Comparable as a Berlin residential property operator serving broad resident populations, though larger and state-owned rather than cooperative.
• HOWOGE Wohnungsbaugesellschaft mbH: Berlin municipal housing company focused on building, managing, and modernizing residential properties. Comparable in residential portfolio operations and Berlin market exposure.
• Berliner Bau- und Wohnungsgenossenschaft von 1892 eG: Long-established Berlin housing cooperative also dating to the late 19th century, operating multiple residential settlements and offering member-owned housing services. Highly comparable in governance model, cooperative structure, and Berlin-only footprint.
• Wohnungsbaugenossenschaft 'Berliner Bär' eG: Berlin housing cooperative managing member-owned residential units with similar community-oriented services. Comparable in cooperative model, Berlin footprint, and mid-sized scale.
• Baugenossenschaft 'Ideal' eG: Berlin housing cooperative of similar vintage and member-driven structure, providing affordable residential housing to members. Highly comparable in cooperative governance, scale, and Berlin-focused operations.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/baugenossenschaft-freie-scholle-zu-berlin-eg

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Baugenossenschaft "Freie Scholle" zu Berlin eG