AbstractA new N‐hydantoin‐containing biocompatible and enzymatically degradable polyester with antibacterial properties is presented. Different polyesters of dimethyl succinate, 1,4‐butanediol, and 3‐[N,N‐di(β‐hydroxyethyl)aminoethyl]‐5,5‐dimethylhydantoin in varying molar ratios are prepared via two‐step melt polycondensation. The antibacterially active N‐halamine form is obtained by subsequent chlorination of the polyesters with sodium hypochlorite. Chemical structures, thermal properties, and spherulitic morphologies of the copolymers are studied adopting FT‐IR, NMR, TGA, DSC, WAXD, and POM. The polyesters exhibit antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli. The adopted synthetic approach can be transferred to other polyesters in a straightforward manner.magnified image