The last of our anniversary talk series: How it all began…
Bremen’s reform university – A discussion with the founding generation: The grand finale of our talk series "Just change the world" on 20 January 2022 was originally planned to take place at the bremer shakespeare company, followed by a party. The participants ended up meeting in Radio Bremen's 3nach9 studio without guests, in yet another concession to the pandemic. But nonetheless, just like in the old days of plenary meetings, it was a boisterous exchange of views. Anecdote versus analysis, in the end a clear draw – much to the pleasure of the audience.
Well over 1,000 people have already watched the talk, either via the livestream or afterwards on the University of Bremen’s YouTube channel. For the talk, we recruited participants from all three status groups (professors, service providers and students) and gave them a chance to have their say: Hannelore Feuß, assistant to the university’s press officer in 1971, the year the University of Bremen was founded; Prof. Dr. Rudolf Hickel, retired professor of finance at the University of Bremen; and Peter Senft, former law student and member of the Bremen Parliament during his studies. Giving voice to the younger generation was Jessica Winter, former president of the Young Universities for the Future of Europe (YUFE) student forum. Speaking of having their say: For our moderator Katrin Krämer, also a University of Bremen alumna, it was often more a matter of sorting out who, in the midst of our lively guests, was not getting a word in edgewise.
Cue the anecdotes: People used to smoke like crazy, no matter where they were. Even during Inaugural Academic Senate sessions, where universally praised founding rector Thomas von der Vring, at his desk, occasionally found himself face to face with a huge, fierce-looking mutt. But that was not the only predicament we found ourselves in, Rudolf Hickel recalled: “Knitting [in class] was a bad habit and I could only prevent it by writing long formulas on the blackboard, which were then material for the next exam. Today it's mobile phones. In my classroom they were banned. Then one day I heard one ringing, my own. I said, well now I’ve got to be consistent and leave the lecture hall. And the students applauded!” With a grin he added, "That annoyed me."
After 90 minutes of spirited debate, Jessica Winter looked at the other participants and summed it all up: "In your recollections today, I saw the foundation you laid back then for such an amazing and cool university, where I study today. I hope to sit on a podium like this again in 50 years and look back on projects like YUFE and be able to say: Back then, we also laid the foundation for a superb university of the future – a university that we can't even imagine today."
Cue up analysis: If you want to learn more about what went on at the event, reserve an entertaining evening on the sofa – with dog and knitting if you like – and tune in to the University of Bremen’s YouTube channel (in german), where you can watch the whole talk.
