The statement was written in response to debates in the Academic Senate about the impact of the situation in the Middle East on the campus. In response to the Bundestag's resolution on anti-Semitism, there were several discussions in the Academic Senate that highlighted the complex nature of the conflict.

Due to the importance of the issue, an Academic Senate working group was set up to draft the statement. The Academic Senate also strongly supports the resolution of the German Rectors' Conference (HRK) dated November 19, 2024, relating to the Bundestag's anti-Semitism resolution. This resolution rejects state intervention in academic discourse at universities.

The statement reads as follows:

For Respectful and Peaceful Coexistence on Our Campus

“The University of Bremen is committed to being a place where students and staff can learn, teach, and work safe in the knowledge that they will be treated fairly and with solidarity and respect. It is an environment built on trust, where everyone is encouraged to be accepting of others and mindful of diversity.” – This is stated in our anti-discrimination policy.

We are currently striving to achieve this goal in a unique way. The war in the Middle East is affecting our university and changing the lives of many students and staff, in some cases dramatically. We are particularly aware that members of our university have received news that relatives or friends have been killed, injured, or continue to be threatened.

As the University of Bremen, we therefore take a stand:

• We care when people suffer. Our compassion and solidarity go out to all those who are threatened by any attack on the foundations of universal values, human rights, and rule-based order.

• Based on our mission statement, we are committed to universal values such as democracy, diversity, justice, and respect for human rights at the university and across the globe.

• People of different origins and religious affiliations learn, teach, and work on our campus. We consider and experience the diversity of our students and staff as an enrichment.

• There is no room for hatred, violence, and incitement on our campus. Anti-Semitism, anti-Muslim and anti-Palestinian racism, and any other form of group-focused hostility have no place on our campus.

• It is important to distinguish between anti-Semitic, anti-Muslim, and anti-Palestinian rhetoric and legitimate criticism of state and government actions. Critical engagement with political developments, including those in the Middle East, is part of an open and democratic academic culture. Preserving this freedom is a central component of our university autonomy.

• We emphatically support the resolution of the German Rectors' Conference (HRK) dated November 19, 2024, regarding the debate on anti-Semitism in the Bundestag.

• As a university, we are a place of open and fair dialogue. In academic discourse, facts, arguments, and reason are what count.

• The University of Bremen's external influence is limited. Nevertheless, we express our expectation that those responsible in the Middle East and in Germany will do everything in their power to immediately end further suffering on all sides.

With this in mind, the university management is committed to protecting all members and affiliates of the university from discrimination within the scope of its responsibilities and with the means at its disposal.

All members and affiliates of the University of Bremen are called upon to contribute to peaceful and respectful coexistence on campus.

University of Bremen, October 15, 2025

Academic Senate of the University of Bremen

University of Bremen Executive Board