Visit our wide range of offers, including a series of films and events, exhibitions, action days or international conferences and much more. Make the most of the opportunities for exchanging views, information and networking. Our programmes consistently feature a broad range of experts from the fields of science, society and politics.
#herstory. Saxony and its female academics.
The #herstory. Sachsen und seine Akademikerinnen exhibition pays tribute to outstanding female academics and scientists from Saxony's institutions of higher education, past and present, thereby portraying them as female educational pioneers transcending regional borders. The lives of the women presented here are academic success stories made in Saxony. The exhibition was on display at the Neues Augusteum in 2017. The audio files from the exhibition can be found below. The content is also available in German and English and in audio format at herstory-sachsen.de.
This is where your title should be – withdrawal of doctorate based on Section 175 of the German Criminal Code
Unworthy of a doctorate! This judgement was passed between 1933 and 1945 on at least seven academics at Leipzig University whose only offence was their sexual identity. Convicted of violating the notorious Section 175 of the German Criminal Code for committing same-sex acts and persecuted by the Nazi regime, Leipzig University additionally "degraded" these men by stripping them of their academic titles. What had previously been recognised as outstanding academic achievements were now worth nothing in the eyes of the rectorate. The fact that universities played a decisive role in the persecution of homosexual men during the Nazi era is a chapter of German university history that has received very little attention to date. With the Bundestag's 2017 move to repeal all Section 175 convictions, including those handed down after 1945, and the prospect of financial compensation for those still living, the debate on how to come to terms with the past has taken on a new relevance.
Living and loving in the shadows – between Stonewall and marriage equality
The L(i)eben im Verborgenen – Zwischen Stonewall und der Ehe für alle (Living and loving in the shadows – between Stonewall and marriage equality) exhibition sheds light on the turbulent historical period between the Stonewall riots and marriage equality, focusing in particular on the plight of homosexuals in the GDR. A glance back at history shows how rocky the road to the emancipation of homosexuals has been in Germany. Contemporary witnesses and photographs by the renowned Leipzig visual chronicler Armin Kühne from the 1970s lend authentic insights into a period when homosexual liaisons still had to be kept secret. The exhibition material is included in the accompanying catalogue. It also contains articles by experts who examine the topic from a historical and scientific viewpoint. The catalogue can be ordered online from Leipziger Universitätsverlag. The exhibition was on display at Leipzig University’ Neues Augusteum in 2019. Starting in 2021, the exhibition is expected to be on display in various institutions in Saxony.
