The Name of the Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-Universität Greifswald was changed to Universität Greifswald [de] on 1 June 2018.
This page provides you with information about the discussions during the name change process. 

During the Academic Senate’s session on 18 January 2017, 24 senators vote in favour of dropping the name Ernst Moritz Arndt, 11 vote in favour of keeping it. There is one abstention. The two-thirds majority needed to change the name of the University, as stipulated by the Basic Regulations, is thus achieved. The future name will be Universität Greifswald (retaining the name of University of Greifswald in English). As the name change can only enter into force once Mecklenburg-Vorpommern’s Ministry of Education has ratified the change of the Basic Regulations, all of the required documents are sent to the ministry in Schwerin.

In the days that follow, the town and the University experience an unexpectedly heated and emotional public debate on the dropping of the name. In partially unobjective, sadly also slanderous, hateful and derogatory expressions of opinion, the University, the Chairwoman of the Senate, the Rector, and the senators are accused of undemocratic behaviour [de]. The University decides to counter false statements with a depiction of the facts [de].

The Ministry of Education of the Federal State of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern informs the University on 7 March 2017 that the change of name in the Basic Regulations cannot be ratified due to formal reasons [de]. The university governance and the Senate accept the ministry’s decision.

On 15 March 2017, the senators discuss the rejection decision at their regular session and formulate a Statement that is published. In reaction to the objections from the Ministry of Education, the Legal Services Office and the Senate’s Statute Committee were instructed to promptly draw up suggestions for adjusting the Basic Regulations. The goal is to develop a legally sound procedure for changes to the Basic Regulations, like the name of the University.

After the flaws in the Basic Regulations have been rectified, the Senate discusses a new motion to change the name of the University in the Basic Regulations of the Ernst-Moritz-Arndt Universität Greifswald on 18 October 2017. The leading argument for the motion is that key notions in Arndt’s works contradict the University’s mission statement. The mission statement had been approved unanimously. The motion is discussed controversially and further suggestions are made. Following the end of the discussion, the motion undergoes a legal review to ensure legal conformity. 

The representatives of the academic and non-academic staff members suggest an opinion poll is held on the name of the university. The senators representing the students and professors support this proposal. Due to the long and controversial discussions on the topic, the senators wanted to know how the various members of the university community felt about the topic. The survey was not an official vote or ballot on the name of the University. It was merely used to gain a general opinion. The results were published on 11 December 2017.

The Academic Senate decides to adopt a compromise proposal on 17 January 2018. According to the proposal, the name Ernst Moritz Arndt is to be dropped; under certain circumstances, the name affix Ernst Moritz Arndt can precede the future name of the university. 27 senators voted in favour of changing the name to Universität Greifswald in the Basic Regulations at the Senate’s session. 8 Senators voted against the proposal. There were no abstentions. The two-thirds majority required to change the name of the University in the Basic Regulations was thus attained.

The Ministry of Education, Science and Culture of the Federal State of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern ratifies this change to the University’s Basic Regulations in April 2018 [de]. The new name of the University enters into force on 1 June 2018 following the publication of the amended Basic Regulations [de] on 31 May 2018. 

The university governance and the Chairwoman of the Senate at the Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-Universität Greifswald are worried about the extent and ways in which facts regarding the change of the University’s name are being bent, falsely represented and ignored. We strongly condemn the depiction of false and misleading information that casts doubt on the lawfulness of the decision and claims a violation of democratic principles and would like to clarify the legal basis and the course of the decision-making process:

(1) Pursuant to law, the University is a public institution of the State of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, bound by the Landeshochschulgesetz (State Higher Education Act). This stipulates that the name of a higher education institution is determined in the Grundordnung (Basic Regulations). The 36-member Extended Senate is the competent body at the University of Greifswald vested with power to pass any changes to the Basic Regulations with a two-thirds majority. A two-thirds majority was in favour of changing the name of the University in the Basic Regulations to “Universität Greifswald”. Therefore, the decision was passed in accordance with the democratic regulations of academic self-government. 

(2) Academic Senates are the highest body of academic self-government at German higher education institutions. The members of the Senate are elected by the members of each of the University’s member groups (professorial staff, academic and non-academic staff, students) in direct, free, equal and secret ballot elections according to the principles of personalised proportional representation. They are therefore the democratically elected representatives of the member groups at the University. 

(3) The current decision passed by the Extended Academic Senate was prepared and communicated over the course of several months. It was therefore neither made “abruptly”, nor “lightly”. It was preceded by the following steps:

• Senators [de] proposed the reopening of the debate regarding the name of the University on 20 July 2016. A decision is made to examine whether a ballot can be held amongst members of the university community on the name Ernst Moritz Arndt. Furthermore, a debate open to all members of the university community is to be organised to discuss the main pros and cons of a name change. The Extended Senate votes in favour with 26 to three votes and six abstentions.
• The senators deliberate once again on the details of the further procedure on 12 September 2016. The senators are informed that a ballot is technically possible. 
  The State Higher Education Act, here § 25(5) [de] only allows student bodies the possibility of direct democracy in the form of ballots. All of the other member groups are limited to representative democracy in the faculty councils and Senate. Therefore, a ballot for all member groups would have no final and binding effect. A Name Committee is formed, which comprises a professor from each of the faculties, two students, and a member of academic staff.
• The Senate is informed on 16 November 2016 that a majority of the Name Committee recommends that it is not necessary to hold a further detailed debate on the person, work and reception of namesake Ernst Moritz Arndt as all of the earlier discussions are fully documented on the internet and can be used for the decision-making. Furthermore, the focus of the discussion should be placed on whether the University actually requires a namesake at all.
• This debate takes place on 11 January 2017. The information and discussion event is open to all members of the university community; however, persons not belonging to the University are not restricted from entering the lecture hall. Some of them request to speak, which is not denied either.
• The proposal to rename the University is presented to the Senate once again on 18 January 2017.* There is no need to hold a further debate as this has already taken place in the form of the discussion that was open to all members of the university community on 11 January. The 36 members of the Extended Senate then took part in the ballot. With 24 votes in favour of the motion, 11 against and one abstention, the two-thirds majority for a change of the name of the University in the Basic Regulations is attained.
• The documents linked to this decision are put together in the days that followed and sent on to the competent Ministry of Education, Science and Culture. The change to the Basic Regulations and thus the change of name will enter into force following approval from the Ministry that will first perform a legal review, and once the amended Basic Regulations have been published.
• Due to the long deadline provided for changing the name to Universität Greifswald by the end of 2019, the costs ensued by changing the name will not come close to the sum of € 300,000 that is making the rounds. The administration will try to realise the change with the lowest possible amount of cost. According to initial estimates, costs could amount to € 80,000.

In order to curb the further emergence of legends and their dissemination, we would also like to refer to several important steps in earlier discussions and decision-making processes:

• On 17 June 2009, the student body’s General Assembly with more than 1200 students passes a resolution to drop the name Ernst Moritz Arndt and demands the University’s bodies initiate the removal of the name.
• On 21 June 2009, senators submit a corresponding proposal to the Academic Senate. With 23 votes in favour, one vote against and nine abstentions, the Extended Senate decides to establish a working group that is to prepare a justified proposal to the Senate that is based on all arguments for and against the name change and other aspects relevant to the decision.
• The Senate Committee invites those interested to an academic debate in the University’s Aula on 11 December 2009.      The invited speakers present their ideas on the issue of: “Which academic (e.g. historical, literary, political, church-related, and socio-historical) aspects support or oppose the retention of the name Ernst Moritz Arndt for the University of Greifswald?”
• On invitation from the Senate’s Committee, around 100 interested citizens, members of the university community and students meet for a public debate at the St. Spiritus Socio-Cultural Centre on 20 January 2010. The public hearing looks into the question: “Which non-academic (e.g. civic, regional, national, international) aspects speak in favour of or against the retention of the name Ernst Moritz Arndt?”
• The student body organises a ballot at the beginning of 2010. 49.9 % of the participants vote in favour of keeping the name Ernst Moritz Arndt, 43.4 % would prefer to shed the name. A total of 2803 votes were submitted. This result has no legally binding effect on the Senate’s decision.
• The Extended Senate holds a ballot on a change of the name of the University in the Basic Regulations on 17 March 2010. 22 senators vote against and 14 senators in favour of dropping the name. NO resolution exists by which future Senates are obliged to disallow the reintroduction of this decision to the agenda or only to allow it to be reintroduced to the agenda if new information has been found on Arndt.

Academic research into Ernst Moritz Arndt in the past 20 years has led to a differentiated picture of the achievements, merits, and views of Ernst Moritz Arndt in his time. Since 2009, anyone interested can gain a detailed overview of Arndt on the University’s webpages [de]. The documents and audio files on the discussions regarding Arndt that were open to the university community and to the public were published online prior to the debates and the ballot on the name of the University in 2010. Since then, the website also provides access to the carefully deliberated statement from the Name Committee from 2010 and further documents and reports. The pages on Ernst Moritz Arndt were supplemented by two recent academic publications on the life and work of Arndt at the beginning of 2016. 

Proposal for changing the name [de] of the University, presented at the Senate’s session on 21 December 2016.