The university is a cosmopolitan place
Diversity of opinion and international exchange are the basis of our research and teaching activities.
The academic discourse between students and teaching staff regardless of their origin, nationality, faith, gender or sexual orientation is a matter of course for us; we stand against any form of discrimination or belittlement. We refer to the constitutional principles of freedom of research and teaching and see their protection as a constant obligation. We therefore call for the constitutional principles of parliamentary democracy and the rule of law, and thus in particular the dignity of every human being, to be protected against attacks. We hereby express our deeply felt disapproval of xenophobia, violence and intolerance.
Studying in Freiberg is popular all over the world
People from all over the world study, conduct research, and work at TU Bergakademie Freiberg. Their countries of origin, experiences, and perspectives shape the international community on our campus.
The interactive world map from the International University Center (IUZ) showcases the stories and perspectives of these individuals and highlights the remarkable diversity of our students’ backgrounds—a fact that is consistently confirmed in international rankings for TU Bergakademie Freiberg.
Network "Miteinander Mittelsachsen gestalten"
The TU Bergakademie Freiberg is a member of the regional network “Miteinander Mittelsachsen gestalten”. Together with numerous partners from Central Saxony, the network is committed to democracy, openness to the world, tolerance, and social cohesion. By joining the network, the university underscores its identity as an internationally connected and cosmopolitan institution of higher education, as well as its ties to the region.
Series of events in the winter semester 2024/2025
"What does democracy mean (to us)?"
This question is the focus of a joint event series organized by TU Bergakademie Freiberg/Studium Generale, the Freiberg for All Network, the DGB Southwest Saxony, and the Academic Bookstore.
The event series kicked off on November 28, 2024, at the Alte Mensa with Dr. Ilko-Sascha Kowalczuk, one of the most sought-after historians on East German history today. Since then, we have been able to host an exciting series of additional events: “Climate Bullshit Bingo” with Jan Hegenberg, “How X, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram Are Destroying Our Democracy” with Petra Gerster and Christian Nürnberger, “Provocative Words” with Mithu Sanyal, “Icy Silence Downstream: Russia and Its Neighbors” with Michael Thumann, “Do Something!” with Ruprecht Polenz, and on October 29, 2025, a reading with Marco Martin from his book “Freiheitsaufgaben” in collaboration with the Literaturforum Leipzig.
Tickets for the event series
Tickets:
Admission to the events is free. A seat reservation is required! http://tickets.freibergfüralle.de
Nationwide campaign against xenophobia
The universities united in the German Rectors' Conference (HRK) have launched a nationwide campaign against xenophobia in Germany. "Universities are cosmopolitan places. Diversity of opinion and international exchange are the basis of their research and teaching activities. In view of the currently recognisable increase in xenophobic tendencies, universities feel called upon to stand up for these values," explained former HRK President Prof. Dr Horst Hippler.
For TU Bergakademie Freiberg, too, regional roots and internationality go hand in hand. Around 4,000 young people study in Freiberg - around 50 per cent of whom come from abroad. Students from over 60 countries of various denominations and cultures have found a second home in the university town. "As a university, we exemplify cosmopolitanism and tolerance," explained Rector Prof Klaus-Dieter Barbknecht. Many of the foreign students have come to Freiberg because of the excellent national and international reputation of the Bergakademie. For centuries, the university has not only attracted young people from Saxony and other federal states, but also from abroad. To ensure that this remains the case, it is important that the university and the city continue to demonstrate this openness.
"Freiberg not only offers our students a modern university with a special familiar charm, but also a diverse cultural environment," said the Rector. This can be seen, for example, in the Festival of Cultures, which is organised annually in Freiberg. The festival is organised by the "One World and Integration" working group of the Freiberg Agenda 21 e.V. The city of Freiberg, the district of Central Saxony, the TU Bergakademie Freiberg and numerous international restaurants, companies and private individuals support the event.
#TogetherCountry
The TU Bergakademie supports the #Zusammenland initiative. More than 350 scientific institutions are setting an example with their participation in the "#Zusammenland - Vielfalt macht uns stark" initiative.
Open-minded universities
HRK statement
Science needs liberal democracy and the rule of law
No place for anti-Semitism
"TU Freiberg is also opposed to all forms of anti-Semitism. Our professors, staff and students stand for an open-minded university, tolerance and equality and thus against any form of discrimination," explains the Senate.
Jewish life on campus must not be jeopardised, Jewish researchers, teaching staff and students must be able to feel safe at all universities. Research on anti-Semitism, its origins and its effects, corresponding offers in studies and teaching as well as the transfer of knowledge to multipliers and decision-makers are of the utmost importance for successfully combating anti-Semitism.
German universities are centres of democratic culture, places of dialogue and sites of diversity. With the campaign "Weltoffene Hochschulen gegen Fremdenfeindlichkeit" (Open-minded universities against xenophobia), universities have already set an example and called for clear commitments and decisive action in favour of a tolerant and open-minded society. In addition, universities in Germany have a special historical responsibility to resolutely oppose all forms of anti-Semitism.
In memory of the victims of National Socialism who lived and worked in Freiberg, "Stolpersteine" can be found in the city centre, including on Burgstraße. The "stones against forgetting" commemorate the terrible events of anti-Semitism in the past.
