Open Letter from the University Management on the Event "The Dignity of the Human Being - (in)touchable?"

In various media and social networks, there were some very controversial reports about the conference "Die Würde des Menschen - (un)antastbar?", which was planned by the initiative "The I in the We" for October 21 and 22 in the rooms of the University of Witten/Herdecke. In this context, the UW/H was also associated in terms of content with the so-called lateral thinking scene. We would therefore like to state once again clearly what should be a matter of course for every academic institution in our country: Witten/Herdecke University resolutely distances itself from the opinions, positions and narratives of the lateral thinker scene.

In our letter to the university community of October 6, in view of the above-mentioned conference, we had also advocated far-reaching tolerance with polarized and/or critical scientific positions. From our point of view, colleges and universities are not only the appropriate - but also the created places of discourse!

At the same time, we have made it clear that tolerance for extreme positions is not without limits; and that our university is guided by three clear criteria in the - always new - difficult question of a borderline: no violation of applicable law, no personal attacks, no abuse of the university under the guise of scientificity in order to give a stage to demonstrably refuted statements.

We see the last point no longer fulfilled, since several of the invited scientific experts have cancelled or distanced themselves from the conference and the initiative "Das Ich im Wir" could not find an adequate scientific replacement. From our point of view, the event is thus in a pronounced imbalance in terms of content; an appropriately critical scientific discourse between experts on an equal footing is no longer guaranteed.

Therefore, we dissociate ourselves from the event and issue a refusal for the use of the premises on the UW/H campus.

Progress requires social and university discourse. We need to listen to viewpoints, allow positions and respect contradictions. And at the same time: A boundless freedom, in which no adequate responsibility is taken for the scientific methods and standards of the discourse and clearly contradicted positions are renewed under the protective shield of a scientific institution with publicity effect, bears the danger of damaging the institution university and must have no place at it.