Seventy-Fifth Anniversary of Freie Universität Berlin

Main Anniversary Celebration: Seventy-Five Years of Freie Universität Berlin

• June 1, 2023, from 4:00 p.m., Opening ceremony for the seventy-five-year anniversary of Freie Universität Berlin and party afterward: Numerous guests from across politics, culture, and academia are expected to attend. Berlin's Governing Mayor Kai Wegner and Senator for Higher Education and Research, Health, and Long-Term Care Ina Czyborra will hold welcome speeches. Additional guests include ambassadors, members of the Berlin House of Representatives, presidents and vice presidents from other universities, and representatives from international partner universities, research institutions, and foundations. The celebration will be followed by a party on campus, complete with DJ, food, and cocktails. Members of the public are warmly invited to attend. Location: in and in front of the Henry Ford Building, Garystraße 35, 14195 Berlin

If you wish to attend, please registeronline in advance. Media representatives are kindly asked to register for the event in advance by sending an email to: [email protected].

Additional Upcoming Anniversary Events in 2023

• June 7, 2023, from 5:00 p.m., Concert on campus for Freie Universität Berlin students featuring pop singer Paula Hartmann and various student bands as opening acts. Location: Square in front of the Holzlaube building, Fabeckstraße 23/25, 14195 Berlin

• June 17, 2023, 5:00 p.m.‒12:00 a.m., Long Night of the Sciences on Freie Universität's campus in Dahlem with spectacular experiments, exciting presentations, tours, and scientific showcases from different fields of research. Location: multiple locations across the Dahlem campus, https://www.fu-berlin.de/en/sites/langenacht/index.html

• June 29, 2023, from 4:00 p.m., Summer Fest and Campus Run: Freie Universität Berlin's Executive Board warmly invites all employees and students to this year's Summer Fest. A big stage with live bands, food, and refreshments awaits, as does an exciting program of events filled with surprises. The annual Campus Run will also be taking place on the same day from 4:00 p.m. Registration is already open, and participants can sign up for a distance that best suits their fitness and energy levels (5 kilometers, 7.5 kilometers, or 10 kilometers). The Campus Run is also open to children, who have the opportunity to run their own one-kilometer race before the main event. Location: Square in front of the Holzlaube building, Fabeckstraße 23/25, 14195 Berlin. http://www.campusrun-berlin.de/

• December 1, 2023, Ernst Reuter Day, conclusion to the end of the anniversary year with a celebratory speech, exhibition launch, award of the Ernst Reuter Prizes for early-career researchers, and announcement of the total amount raised for Médecins Sans Frontières over the course of the anniversary year. Location: Henry Ford Building, Garystraße 35, 14195 Berlin

Freie Universität's 2023 Fundraising Campaign

Due to its unique history and why it was founded, Freie Universität Berlin is very conscious of its responsibility to society. For this reason, it not only wishes to take this anniversary year as an opportunity to celebrate, but also to focus on the crises currently happening around the world. University members and friends of Freie Universität are therefore encouraged to take part in this year's special fundraising campaign: "Seventy-Five Years of Free Thinking: Celebrate and Donate" in support of the international medical relief organization, Médecins Sans Frontières. https://www.fu-berlin.de/en/sites/75jahre/spenden/index.html

Donations can be submitted via the official website of Médecins Sans Frontières at https://www.aerzte-ohne-grenzen.de/sich-engagieren/spendenaktion/online?cfd=kt8yq or made directly to the following bank account:

Ärzte ohne Grenzen e.V.
IBAN: DE72 3702 0500 0009 7097 00
BIC: BFSWDE33XXX
Bank für Sozialwirtschaft
Reference: FU Berlin

Freie Universität Berlin's History

From the very beginning, Freie Universität Berlin was a university based on the principles of democracy and freedom. It was founded in 1948 by professors and students with the support of the American Allies and various Berlin-based politicians. This act was in response to the persecution faced by students who took a critical stance toward the system in place at Berlin's main university at that time, which was located in the Soviet sector of the divided city. They wanted to establish a university where its members were able to study, teach, and research free from political interference. The official statement calling to found Freie Universität Berlin was published on June 23, 1948, with the founding ceremony taking place on December 4, 1948, in the Titania-Palast in Berlin's Steglitz district.

Thanks to support from both within Germany and abroad, Freie Universität Berlin was soon able to establish itself as a university of high international standing. Since it was founded, representatives from the humanities and the sciences around the world have regularly come to Freie Universität's campus in Dahlem as guests and friends of the university. Freie Universität has been awarded the title of "University of Excellence" three times through the Excellence Initiative jointly sponsored by the German federal government and the governments of the German states. It received this title in 2007, 2012, and 2019, most recently as a member of the Berlin University Alliance together with Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Technische Universität, and Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin.

Websites with Additional Information

Contact

• Freie Universität Berlin, Executive Board Special Projects Team, Events Team, Email: [email protected]
• For press inquiries please contact the Press and Communication Team within the Office of Communication and Marketing, Email: [email protected]

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