We, members of the Alice Salomon University of Applied Sciences Berlin (ASH Berlin) in various capacities, support the decision of the university leadership to address the occupation of the Audimax at ASH Berlin on January 6, 2025, without police intervention.
The university administration engaged in dialogue with the occupiers – primarily students of ASH Berlin – and facilitated an amicable resolution to the occupation. In our view, the university acted in alignment with its educational mission. This approach, above all, aims to empower students to engage with complex and contradictory situations and develop constructive ways to navigate them.
At the same time, we explicitly condemn certain expressions, symbols, and terminology used by the occupiers to articulate their concerns and demands. However, we do not believe that this justifies fundamentally denying them their right to protest.
We are extremely disheartened by the incidents of antisemitism, during which several university members felt their boundaries were crossed or experienced discrimination. These members, along with us, have expressed clear criticism of such actions by the occupiers, and we will address and process these incidents. We remain committed to dialogue with all students and university members at ASH Berlin, firmly opposing antisemitism, racism, and violence.
We have been offering specific lecture series, seminars, and counseling services, especially since October 7, 2023. We are determined to continue tackling the complex challenges posed by teaching and learning within a diverse academic and social community through a multiperspective approach.
The simplified digital portrayals fail to do justice to the nuanced educational processes underway at ASH Berlin. We reject attempts at polarization, scandalization, and instrumentalization.
We explicitly stand with our university administration, which has faced an unjustified media hate storm since Monday.
Colleagues and other universities who would like to support our statement with their signature, should send their name, academic title and name of their university until the 17th of January 2025 to this adress: unterzeichnen@ ash-berlin.eu and will be included in the list on this website.
First signatories:
Prof. Dr. Timo Ackermann
Prof. Dr. Robel Afeworki Abay
Vered Berman
Prof. Dr. M. Luzi Beyer
Prof. Dr. Mart Busche
Prof. Dr. María do Mar Castro Varela
Prof. Dr. Ulrike Eichinger
Prof. Dr. Oliver Fehren
Prof. Dr. Julia Franz
Prof. Dr. Susanne Gerull
Irene Gropp
Peps Gutsche
Arnon Hampe
Prof. Dr. Jutta Hartmann
Asha Hedayati
Prof. Dr. Birgit Hilliger
Prof. Dr. Claudia Hruska
Wolfgang Huber
Prof. Johanna Kaiser
Prof. Dr. Elke Kraus
Marion Kußmaul
Prof. Dr. Jennifer Lambrecht
Nina Lawrenz
Prof. Dr. Esther Lehnert
Detlef Maag
Sieglinde Machocki
Prof. Dr. Rebecca Maskos
Prof. Dr. Marion Mayer
Elène Misbach
Prof. Dr. Andrea Plöger
Prof. Dr. Arnd Pollmann
Prof. Dr. Nivedita Prasad
Prof. Dr. Jasna Russo
Prof. Dr. Barbara Schäuble
Dr. Thomas Schäfer
Prof. Dr. Utan Schirmer
Prof. Dr. Lutz Schumacher
Müjgan Şenel
Prof. Dr. Sandra Smykalla
Prof. Dr. Heinz Stapf-Finé
Prof. Dr. Sabine Toppe
Prof. Dr. Johannes Verch
Prof. Dr. Uta Maria Walter
Prof. Dr. Christian Widdascheck
Simone Wibbeke
Supporters of the letter of solidarity (43 persons, as of: 10.01.2025, 20:00)
In order of receipt (not alphabetical)
Dr. Marion Detjen, Bard College Berlin
Prof. Dr. Raimund Geene, ASH Berlin
Diana Grothues, ASH-Berlin
Prof. Dr. Stefanie Kruse, ASH Berlin
Dr. Ilyas Saliba, Centre for Fundamental Rights – Hertie School of Governance
Prof. Dr. Sabine Hark, TU Berlin
Prof. Maria Ziegelböck, Universität für Angewandte Kunst, Wien
Antje Schürmann, Hochschule Hannover
Prof. Dr. Benjamin Meyer-Krahmer, Hochschule für Grafik und Buchkunst Leipzig
Dr. Joachim Kuck, ASH Berlin
Prof. Dr. Ruth Großmaß, ASH Berlin (i.R)
Dr. Silke Laux, ASH Berlin
Dr. Meral Apak, ASH Berlin
Prof. Dr. Rita Hansjürgens, ASH Berlin
Prof. Dr. Isabel Feichtner, Universität Würzburg
Dr. Britta Ohm, University of Mainz
Prof. Ulrike Hemberger (i.R.), ASH Berlin
Prof. Dr. Elke Josties (i.R.), ASH Berlin
Prof. Dr. Manfred Liebel (i.R.), TU Berlin
Eric Llaveria Caselles, TU Berlin
Prof. Dr. Susanne A. Benner, ASH Berlin
Dr. Zafer Yilmaz, HU Berlin
Urte Böhm, ASH Berlin
Prof. Dr. Hanna Meißner, TU Berlin
Adrian Werner, ASH Berlin
Agit Kadino, ASH Berlin
Prof. Dr. Carmen Mörsch, Kunsthochschule Mainz
Dr. Sabine Blackmore, TH Köln
Dr. Asli Telli, Uni Köln
Prof. Dr. Aram Ziai, Uni Kassel
Dr. Nadin Tettschlag, ASH Berlin
Dr. Ergün Özgür, Leibniz Zentrum Moderner Orient, FU -Berlin
Vero Bock, ASH Berlin
Dr. Magdalena Beljan, Geschäftsstelle der Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Frauen- und Geschlechterforschungseinrichtungen Berliner Hochschulen (afg), TU Berlin
Prof. Dr. Tamás Jules Fütty, Universität Klagenfurt
Prof. Dr. Nils Altner, ASH Berlin
Yvonne Chadde, ASH Berlin
Felipa Rodriguez Lanza, ASH Berlin
Prof. Dr. Annita Kalpaka (i.R.), HAW-Hamburg
Eva Hertzsch, ASH Berlin
Friederike Mehl, ASH Berlin
Dr. Kevin Stützel, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main
Prof. Dr. Tilman Lutz, HAW Hamburg