Around 1000 students, professors and other university employees demonstrated in Stuttgart for sufficient funding of Baden-Württemberg's universities. The protesters, including around a hundred students from Ulm, marched from the university in the city centre via the Ministry of Science to the seat of the Ministry of Finance at Schlossplatz.
The demonstration was led by Professor Stephan Trahasch, rector of the University of Applied Sciences in Offenburg and chairman of the Rectors' Conference of HAW BW, Professor Michael Weber, president of Ulm University and chairman of the State Rectors' Conference of Universities, and Professor Peter Middendorf, rector of the University of Stuttgart. The protesters loudly drew attention to their concerns with whistles and chants. "We are here, we are loud, because you are stealing our education!" was just one of the slogans that echoed through the centre of Stuttgart. With their demonstration, the students and university members addressed the state parliament's finance committee, which was deliberating at the same time on the new Higher Education Financing Agreement III (HoFV III) for the years 2026 to 2030. This provides for an annual increase in funding of 3.5 per cent; the university representatives had demanded 6 per cent.
Before the first stop, at the Ministry of Science, Research and the Arts, Professor Michael Weber emphasised: "We are gathered here to demonstrate for something: for reliable, sufficient and growing basic funding for universities and for good and future-oriented conditions for research and teaching." Student Linus Häberle, an active member of the state student council, also reiterated the additional demands of the students, such as an affordable student ticket and better financing of the student unions for lower prices, a wider range of services and longer opening hours in the refectories and cafeterias.
For the final rally, the protesters marched on through Theodor-Heuss- and Bolzstraße to the New Palace of the Ministry of Finance. Among others, Petra Olschowski, the state minister of science, spoke to the students and university members and defended the state government's plans. She said that the plans would offer the universities and colleges reliability despite falling student numbers. "We are not cutting back, we are strengthening the universities," said Olschowski, pointing out that the state would be investing around 700 million euros more by 2030.
The central rally on Friday in Stuttgart was organised by the student representation Stuvus of the University of Stuttgart. In the days before, activities had already taken place at several universities in the state; at the University of Ulm, following an appeal by the StuVe, a letter campaign to members of the state parliament and a joint sign-making session for the demonstration, among other things.
Text and media contact: Daniela Stang