Peace for Ukraine: Large demonstration in Frankfurt (Oder)!

Peace for Ukraine: Large demonstration in Frankfurt (Oder)!

On March 9, 2025, numerous events are planned in Frankfurt (Oder) and Tübingen that deal with the Ukraine conflict and its effects on education and society. On Monday, February 24th, the city of Frankfurt (Oder) will be the scene of a demonstration under the motto "Strengthen Peace! Support Ukraine!" Marking the third anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, this event will begin at 5:00 p.m. in the Market Square. The route leads from there to the Friedenskirche. Prominent speakers such as Prof. Dr. Eduard Mühle, Mayor Claus Junghanns and Superintendent Frank Schürer-Behrmann will have their say. A live performance by artist Roksana Vikaluk will round off the event in the Friedenskirche. The initiators of this demonstration are a civil society alliance and university pastor René Pachmann, supported by the European University Viadrina and the Ecumenical European Center Frankfurt (Oder). reports the European University Viadrina.

Following the demonstration, a discussion about the freedom struggle in Ukraine will take place at 7:15 p.m. at the German-American Institute in Tübingen. Here Dr. Susann Worschech, a scientist at Viadrina, will take up the topic “On the way to freedom – historical roots of Ukraine”. Discussant Dr. Matthäus Wehowski from the Hannah Arendt Institute will shed light on the oppression of Ukraine and the influence of history on society. The importance of the freedom struggle for Germany is also discussed.

Diverse educational offerings at the European University

The European University Viadrina is offering other interesting events in the same week. A workshop on the history of philosophy with the topic “History of philosophy since 1900” will take place on February 26th and 27th in the University Senate Hall. In addition, the Children's University of Prof. Dr. starts on this day at 4:00 p.m. Theresa Gessler, who would like to introduce children and young people between the ages of 8 and 13 to the topic "Who does politics? Elections explained for everyone".

In addition, two different exhibitions will be presented in the Gräfin Dönhoff building and in the main library. The exhibition “Oder-Los” shows photographs of the Oder river landscape by Oleksandra Bienert, while another exhibition on the occasion of the 92nd birthday of historian Władysław Bartoszewski presents caricatures and bon mots, organized by the Karl Dedecius Foundation and the Viadrina Center of Polish and Ukrainian Studies.

Support from the DAAD

The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) recently announced the establishment of two new interdisciplinary centers for Ukrainian studies at German universities. These projects, including the “Competence Network for Interdisciplinary Ukrainian Studies Frankfurt (Oder) – Berlin (KIU)” of the European University Viadrina, will be funded by the Federal Foreign Office with a total of around five million euros until 2028. For 2024, 750,000 euros each have already been planned for the two facilities said the DAAD.

These centers aim to strengthen Ukraine expertise in Germany through social science and humanities research as well as through various teaching offerings. Interdisciplinary exchange is promoted through events, networking and current research results, which are intended to be made accessible to both a specialist audience and the general public reports deutschland.de.