For more detailed information, please change to the German version of this website.

Antisemitism prevention

The UdK Berlin is actively committed to combating discrimination and antisemitism. In light of the sharp rise in antisemitic incidents after October 7, 2023, the university is promoting awareness of the origins and contemporary manifestations of antisemitism. UdK Berlin takes both sensitizing and event-specific measures. It supports the position paper of the German Rectors' Conference from November 15, 2023, and adheres to the working definition of antisemitism provided by the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) (the IHRA working definition can be found in the FAQs). This definition covers both classical and contemporary forms of antisemitism, including those related to Israel and post-Holocaust antisemitism.

The UdK Berlin aligns its work in antisemitism prevention with and based on the Berlin State Concept for the Further Development of Antisemitism Prevention, in which the IHRA's working definition is anchored for antisemitism prevention and has been approved by the Berlin House of Representatives.

For the UdK Berlin, raising awareness of antisemitism is an ongoing educational mission. Contemporary educational measures such as workshops, seminars, and dialogue formats in the artistic, academic, and administrative sectors aim to raise awareness of the persistence of antisemitic prejudices and worldviews and to strengthen antisemitism criticism, thereby enabling a nuanced and content-driven discourse.

As a university with a history of institutional violence dating back from the time of National Socialism, UdK Berlin feels a responsibility not only to address the societal challenges of the present but also to critically reflect on its own history – particularly the role of art and culture during National Socialism – while simultaneously engaging in forward-looking work in prevention. The formats offered here complement the existing offerings on discrimination awareness.

Antisemitism, however, is a specific social phenomenon and represents a particularly complex form of discriminatory behavior that requires specialized expertise.

 

The illustrations are by Tanya Teibtner, a UdK alumna from the Illustration class of Prof. Henning Wagenbreth.