Illegal Occupation of Old University Building in Heidelberg
Press Release No. 1/2009
18 06 2009
18 06 2009
Disapproval from students and departmental student organisations
On Thursday morning (18 June 2009) members of the administrative staff of Heidelberg University were denied access to their workplaces by the group of approximately 80 education-strike activists who have been occupying the Old University building since yesterday. The Rector’s offices are also located in this building. Professor Bernhard Eitel, Rector of the University, made the following declaration: “The activists have no right to occupy the Old University. They have shown that they have no interest in a dialogue and have quite obviously opted for a confrontation course.” In the meantime, these latest developments have prompted numerous students and the departmental organisation of medical students to express their disapproval of the occupation and the education strike.
The occupiers have been repeatedly called upon to leave the building. In the Rector’s view, they are definitely overstepping the limits by refusing to do so. “Initially we upheld the Heidelberg tradition,” the Rector said, “which means engaging in dialogue and trusting to the power of argument.” In the past few days the Rector has conducted various discussions with the students, some of them lasting over an hour. He has also agreed to a further discussion on Tuesday of next week. “Occupying the Rectorate building is a violation of all valid rules,” he asserted.
A letter from the departmental organisation of medical students addressed on Thursday to the Dean and the Study Dean of the Faculty contains the following passage: “In the name of the departmental organisation of Heidelberg’s medical students I wish to inform you that after lengthy discussion we have decided not to support the education strike. Though we are in full agreement with the aims of the education strike, we do not condone the present activities and they way they are being conducted.”
Please address any inquiries to
Marietta Fuhrmann-Koch
Heidelberg University
Communications and Marketing
phone: +49 6221 5419011
The occupiers have been repeatedly called upon to leave the building. In the Rector’s view, they are definitely overstepping the limits by refusing to do so. “Initially we upheld the Heidelberg tradition,” the Rector said, “which means engaging in dialogue and trusting to the power of argument.” In the past few days the Rector has conducted various discussions with the students, some of them lasting over an hour. He has also agreed to a further discussion on Tuesday of next week. “Occupying the Rectorate building is a violation of all valid rules,” he asserted.
A letter from the departmental organisation of medical students addressed on Thursday to the Dean and the Study Dean of the Faculty contains the following passage: “In the name of the departmental organisation of Heidelberg’s medical students I wish to inform you that after lengthy discussion we have decided not to support the education strike. Though we are in full agreement with the aims of the education strike, we do not condone the present activities and they way they are being conducted.”
Please address any inquiries to
Marietta Fuhrmann-Koch
Heidelberg University
Communications and Marketing
phone: +49 6221 5419011
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