Guidance on Dealing with Right-Wing Hostility in Academia

Guidance Document - Dealing with Right-Wing Hostility Toward Science (not accessible)

This guide was developed as part of the practical partnership between the Federal Association for Mobile Counseling (BMB) and the “GERDEA” research network.

In the spring of 2025, the office of the autonomous queer*feminist group at Ruhr University Bochum was found with a broken door and a damaged archive. There have been repeated incidents on campus involving far-right graffiti, the burning of Pride flags, and the use of far-right symbols and codes (see guide, p. 5).

In the past, universities, research institutions, and individual scholars have repeatedly become targets of the far right. This is illustrated by the previous example at RUB as well as the current case of Prof. Dr. Christina Brüning, professor of history didactics at Philipps University of Marburg, who, among other things, has repeatedly received death threats (see “Solidarity with Prof. Dr. Brüning and All Victims of Right-Wing Violence and Threats” dated June 19, 2026)

Through their theoretical and practical collaboration, the research network and the Federal Association for Mobile Counseling demonstrate how the far right targets academia.

Vibrant Democracies and the Role of Academia

From an analytical perspective, (gender-sensitive) research on right-wing extremism examines, for example, the way right-wing extremists occupy space in the university context. This primarily targets individuals and institutions that promote a human rights-oriented, critical, and democratic academic culture and higher education system. Using examples of recent attacks and intimidation attempts, the guide demonstrates that these range from vandalism of offices to digital or even physical violence.

Likewise, the guide outlines action strategies derived from counseling in the university context, such as a 10-point plan.

As part of the “Threat Management” working group, we address such incidents and the corresponding (internal) procedures.

Find out here how you, as a bystander, can take action in cases of discrimination and sexualized violence.

In an emergency, please do not hesitate to call emergency services or the police: Emergency numbers at TU Dortmund University