BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg: First step in the fight against right-wing extremism!

BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg: First step in the fight against right-wing extremism!

On August 13, 2025, Science Minister Manja Schüle visited the Brandenburg Technical University Cottbus-Senftenberg (BTU) to find out about the effectiveness of the newly founded monitoring center against right-wing extremist influences. This monitoring center is the first of its kind at a German university and was launched around ten months ago to document right-wing extremist incidents and to support affected members of the university. Participants in the meeting included, among others, the office's coordinator, Susanne Dyhr, Chancellor Robert Denk and Prof. Jens Schubert, the Commissioner for Anti-Discrimination and Anti-Semitism, the BTU reports on its website website.

Schüle was particularly interested in the experiences of the last two semesters and the university's cooperation with the city. Robert Denk emphasized the BTU's responsibility for its students and employees as well as the importance of a cosmopolitan society in times of increasing insecurity and extremism. The BTU sees itself as an active player in dealing with right-wing extremist developments and plans to set up targeted prevention measures against discrimination through the monitoring center.

The challenge of right-wing extremism

The monitoring center, headed by Susanne Dyhr, has set itself the goal of documenting incidents of discrimination, coercion and violence and preparing detailed situational analyzes. So far, dozens of incidents have been reported on the university campus and the surrounding area, including damage to property and the attachment of right-wing extremist stickers. What is particularly worrying is the violence that students experience on their way to university or in their living environment. According to Dyhr, the suspected perpetrators often do not come from the university environment, which further complicates the situation since affected students are often off campus. These findings were also on rbb24.de published.

A worrying example is the incident involving a student who was threatened near his home. A place in a student dormitory was organized for him to ensure his safety. Dyhr emphasizes the need to optimize structures within the university in order to increase the safety of students and employees and to handle right-wing extremist incidents more efficiently.

Social context

The context of these efforts is of great importance, especially at a time when societal uncertainties and crises are increasing. According to an analysis by Hogg and Adelman (2013), there are strong connections between insecurity and extreme group behavior and authoritarian leadership. A recent article by Alves, Pinto and Marques (2024) examines how insecurity promotes nationalist and anti-immigrant attitudes, highlighting the need for initiatives such as the monitoring center at BTU. These developments are part of a broader framework in which crises and uncertainties in society can often lead to extremism and discrimination, as well as from the bpb discussed.

By setting up the monitoring center, the BTU shows that it wants to take on a responsible role in society in order to promote a safe and tolerant environment for all students and employees.