Last updated 21. Juli 2025 | Sprecherinnen

[Vorweg] Liebe Absolvent*innen, Liebe Angehörige, diese Rede wird in Englisch gehalten, um auch die internationalen Studierenden dieser Universität anzusprechen. Die Deutsche Fassung findet ihr auf unserer Website.

Dear graduates, dear relatives and friends,

Today is a special day. Today is a special day for you, because today you will be awarded your Bachelor’s/Master’s/PhD degree. Your study time at our university will formally come to an end. We would like to congratulate you on this success and hope that you use this day to celebrate your achievements over the past years. You have certainly surpassed yourselves and learnt a lot in many different ways. Of course, this doesn’t just mean the content of your numerous lectures, seminars and tutorials, but above all, everything that has happened around them. You learnt a lot about yourselves, about communication and collaboration, about independence and community and about knowing and not knowing. You can be very proud of yourselves for that!

But learning does not take place in an empty space. All of you had to deal with different challenges during your studies. Some of you were the first of your family to visit university, others lived in precarious circumstances. In the past three years, the cost of living has increased tremendously, which affected us students disproportionately. Some have experienced racism, queerphobia, ableism or other forms of discrimination. You studied with children or chronic illnesses, you cared for relatives, struggled with Bafög, or with studying during the Covid-19 Pandemic, or worked alongside your studies. And last but not least, all of us lost the Niedersachsen-Menü in the Mensa.

Not only have you changed while facing these challenges, but so has the world around us. Multiple wars have begun during your studies. Many of us are disturbed and horrified by the wars in Ukraine and Gaza and the suffering that we see in the media on a daily basis. Other conflicts and wars like the civil war in Sudan or the conflicts in Myanmar have received less attention in Western media, but belong to the biggest humanitarian crises we have experienced in recent years. In all these conflicts we are witnessing war crimes, restriction of humanitarian aid and a reduction in financial support, especially but not only from right-wing governments.

Meanwhile we observe the United States of America turning towards fascism. Protests are being repressed violently by soldiers, people who have lived in the US for many years are being deported, and students are losing their visas and degrees just before graduation. Here in Germany, Chancelor Friedrich Merz and Federal Minister of the Interior Alexander Dobrindt chose to ignore court rulings to push their populist agenda, thereby challenging the very core of our democratic state. And while the federal government is busy spending millions of euros to illegally stop a small number of people at the border, they claim to not have money for a livable Bafög. This country needs rich teachers and nurses and train drivers not rich generals, arms dealers and fascists.

All of this is a lot to endure and terrifying. At least thats how we feel, and we are sure that a lof of you feel similarly overwhelmed. What gives us hope in these turbulent times is that most of these crises, conflicts and wars are human made and can be solved or stopped by humans. I believe that some of the people that will contribute to solving these conflicts and fight for human rights, a better life for all and democratic values are sitting behind me right now to graduate.

You have had the time, resources, and opportunity in our student community to learn about solidarity, democratic principles, love, activism, and fighting for a better life for everybody. Because if you got a degree at this university then you probably got a dose of the humanities, wether you wanted to or not. This is what’s lacking in our government, institutions and industry. History, Philosophy, sustainability studies, the Arts, cultural and media studies – they teach media literacy and critical thinking. They teach empathy and class consciousness. They teach humility and perseverance.

When you go out tomorrow and start your next chapter of life, when you join a new workplace or begin pursuing another degree, do it with humility and perseverance. Be conscious of injustice and have the bravery to fight it. Also use your skills and knowledge of organizing and communication to not do it alone and stand in solidarity with others. (Abwechselnd?) Take responsibility. Dare to care. Fight for climate justice. Fight for trans rights. And fight against fascism!

Many of you have already done this during your time at this university. You have been involved in the AStA, in student councils and committees, in the StuPa and numerous initiatives and activist groups that shape and characterise life on this campus and in Lüneburg. You have contributed ideas, taken on responsibility and made this place more active, warm and inclusive. We would like to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all these moments, for your time and your commitment. Your efforts have left traces here that will remain visible, even if you have long moved on. We will not forget you and hope that you will not forget us either.

In these last few weeks, you have certainly experienced many ‘last times’ here in Lüneburg – perhaps the last coffee in your favorite corner, the last time you ate in the Mensa or the last big party with your friends and today you will also experience the last speech of the AStA (unless you stay with us a little longer). In these last times, we wish you a day full of joy and community, in which you celebrate yourselves and your fellow students, dance a lot, and look back proudly on all that you have achieved. No matter what awaits you now, take the time today to celebrate your success and don’t let your excitement wind down!

Congratulations on your graduation! Have a wonderful day and a wonderful celebration together!

AStA-Sprecher*innen
Denise Granzow (sie/ihr)
Hannah Spittler (sie/-)
Emil Jüchter (er/ihm)
Theo Lohse (er/ihm)

AStA der Universität Lüneburg
Universitätsallee 1
21335 Lüneburg
Gebäude 9

www.asta-lueneburg.de
Tel.: 04131 677 1907