Youth hostel Cottbus, Youth hostel in Cottbus, Germany

Youth Hostel Cottbus occupies the heritage-listed Malzdarre building at Klosterplatz and provides rooms of varying sizes for students and visitors. The structure displays traditional German architectural features with multiple floors organized around a functional interior layout.

A malt kiln for Cottbus brewers stood on this site from 1720, one of three rebuilt under a 1718 fire ordinance. The present core dates from 1795, its north wall set into the medieval town wall. From 1934 to 1936 Max Hanke converted it into a youth hostel under city architect Hellmuth Schröder and conservator Erich Blunck; it closed in 1989 and reopened in 1992.

The building brings together students from BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg and travelers from around the world who share meals and conversations in the common areas. These daily interactions create a sense of community within the heritage walls.

The hostel stands in the Mitte district directly opposite the Klosterkirche, so the old town is reached on foot. Since 1992 the entrance has faced Klosterplatz rather than the rear of the building. The north side is built into the medieval city wall along the Puschkinpromenade.

The building was originally a malt-drying operation for beer production and still shows visible traces of this industrial past. This transformation from brewery equipment facility to modern accommodation demonstrates how heritage structures can be repurposed.