A year-long exploration of the topic of "freedom" in all its facets: The Science Year 2024 – Freedom of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is dedicated to this goal. With a number of hands-on activities, it provides a stage for intergenerational discussions about freedom, its value and its meaning. TU Dresden (TUD) is also participating in the Science Year 2024 – Freedom with the project "Democratic Freedom - Achieve, Experience, Maintain".  

A summer festival to get involved in, an educational program for students and a series of events on the Peaceful Revolution lay the groundwork for what TUD has on offer - accompanied by a social media campaign on the topic of "Science and Freedom".  

Educated and well-informed citizens are a crucial prerequisite for a resilient and vibrant democracy. Science plays a pivotal role because it proposes solutions to social challenges and provides a sound basis for political decisions. "We at TU Dresden see it as our responsibility to stand up for the free democratic basic order, and this is where our project comes in," affirms Prof. Roswitha Böhm, Vice-Rector University Culture.  

TU Dresden's project for the Science Year 2024 – Freedom is based on three thematic pillars:  

• At the summer festival in June, TU Dresden and Zuhause in Prohlis encourage visitors of all ages to explore aspects of democratic society such as equality and solidarity. 
• On top of this, there is an educational program for students of all disciplines. As part of a block seminar, students address the topic of "Fake news and conspiracy narratives," and learn how to effectively deal with anti-democratic statements. 
• The third pillar focuses on accounts from the time of the Peaceful Revolution. A series of events takes a closer look at very different personal experiences - shaped by social upheavals and political changes.  

"We want to use methods of science communication to have an impact on urban society and engage with citizens on various aspects of democratic freedom," explains Roswitha Böhm. This topic will be addressed in the accompanying social media campaign - with interviews and questions, short videos and infographics.  

About the Science Year 2024 – Freedom 

The theme this year is freedom. This is because it is of fundamental value and is under threat in a way that has long been unimaginable. Two upcoming anniversaries will underline its importance in Germany: 75 years of the Basic Law and 35 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall. 

The Science Year 2024 – Freedom is therefore focusing on various dimensions of freedom. What exactly is freedom? Are freedom and democracy connected? Where exactly does freedom begin? The Science Year provides a stage for intergenerational discussions about freedom, its value and its meaning - both for participants to interact with each other, and for them to interact with science. It’s an opportunity to discuss the freedom of today, tomorrow and worldwide. 

The Year of Science is an initiative of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) in collaboration with Wissenschaft im Dialog (WiD). 

Contact for questions about the project "Democratic Freedom - Achieve, Experience, Maintain": 
Monique Rust 
Directorate 9 - University Culture 
Tel.: +49 351 463-32397
 

Background: TUD assumes responsibility for the protection of democracy 
TUD sees itself as a regionally anchored and globally oriented university of excellence. As such, it assumes a social responsibility, which it fulfills in a variety of ways: In addition to its educational and research activities - including the organization of the "Human chain" on February 13, the publication of the "TU Dresden Declaration for Cosmopolitanism, Liberties and a Strong Democracy" and the large-scale event for democracy "Joining forces for democracy - Dresden science and culture calls for action".  

More information on this event can be found on the central website of TUD under "Protecting Democracy." The information on the website is continually updated. 

Contact: 
Matthias Fejes 
Press Officer 
Tel.: +49 351 463-32882