Introduction: Klaus Hoffmann-Holland (Freie Universität Berlin)  

Host: Florian Kohstall (Freie Universität Berlin)

The history of academic freedom is also a history of martyrs. From Giordano Bruno to the Italian doctoral student Giulio Regeni, who was tortured to death in Egypt in 2016, individual personalities symbolize the struggle for freedom of thought. Such occurences as well as the founding story of individual universities such as Freie Universität, highlight the importance of academic freedom and how it can unfold its concrete impact. In the opening lectures of the lecture series, Prof. Anita Traninger and Prof. Georg Krücken will outline the historical development of academic freedom and address current challenges to its guarantee. What does the Motto "truth, justice and freedom" mean for a university today? What institutional precautions must be taken to preserve academic freedom?

The event takes place in cooperation with the Dahlem Humanities Center.