There have been discussions about renaming the Eberhard Karls University in Tübingen for many years. One namesake is considered an anti-Semite, the other practiced an authoritarian style of government. A decision is near.
Tübingen (dpa/lsw) – The Senate of the Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen will discuss renaming the venerable university on Thursday. A press conference (around 4 p.m.) is planned to follow. On the basis of a historical report on the two rulers and namesakes of the university, Count Eberhard and Duke Karl Eugen von Württemberg, the Senate had dealt with the question of a name change several times in recent months.
Count Eberhard von Württemberg – also known as Eberhard im Bart – founded the University of Tübingen in 1477. In 1769, Duke Karl Eugen decided on the name of the university, which is still valid today. As Eberhard-Karls-Universität, it refers to the first names of both rulers.
The historical name of the University of Tübingen was already criticized in the student movement of the 1970s. The current criticism is aimed specifically at the two namesakes. Eberhard, the founder of the university, is considered an anti-Semite, and Duke Karl Eugen is said to have sold young men abroad as soldiers.
For this reason, the Senate set up a commission last year to carry out an assessment. There are also different opinions within the commission on the question of keeping or changing the name, said the head of the committee, Sigrid Hirbodian. She is director of the Tübingen Institute for Historical Regional Studies.
