Declaration by the Board of Management of 24 January 2024
Tens of thousands of people are currently taking to the streets to protest against right-wing extremism and to defend democracy. The protests were sparked after it emerged that far-right extremists met to discuss and plan the displacement of millions of people from Germany. In recent years, right-wing extremists that are known country-wide and have been active for many decades have repeatedly gathered under names such as Düsseldorfer Runde and Düsseldorfer Forum, of which members met in Potsdam to advance the implementation of authoritarian and racist politics. This group is not representative of the people who live in Düsseldorf. Hochschule Düsseldorf – University of Applied Sciences and other actors in our city actively take a stand for democratic values and human rights and against extreme right-wing positions and activities.The term ‘remigration’ as used in Potsdam is a far-right extremist dog whistle with the purpose to obscure the true goal: To displace several millions of people that have found their home in Germany. We resolutely object to this exclusion and implied violence—not least because numerous members of our university would be among the victims. We stand together! This stance has emerged from our historical responsibility in remembrance of Nazi crimes on the grounds of our campus in Derendorf. From the former abattoir in Düsseldorf, almost 6000 Jewish people were deported to be murdered between 1941 and 1944. The calls for displacement are a fatal reminder of these historic deportations. It is our shared goal to counteract anti-democracy and anti-human rights trends with all resources available to the university. To this end, the University Senate of HSD has initiated a task force. Its job is to identify suitable possibilities for action in cooperation with the Board of Management and all interested members of the university.
