Geraldine Rauch, the president of the Technical University (TU) of Berlin, who is under criticism, has requested disciplinary proceedings against herself from the academic administration. She wants to face the allegations and enable an objective investigation, she said on Wednesday at the beginning of the meeting of the TU’s Academic Senate. She also apologized again for having “liked” an anti-Semitic post on the Internet and spoke of “deep remorse.”
The meeting was to vote on whether the president should remain in office. Rauch is being criticized for liking anti-Semitic posts on the X platform. In particular, this involved a post with photos of demonstrators holding up a picture of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with a swastika painted on it. The Academic Senate is made up of university professors, academic staff, students and employees in technology, service and administration.
Among other things, Rauch announced that she would react immediately to any anti-Semitic protests on university campuses in the future. She now wants to offer consultation hours to Jewish students. A counseling center for those affected by anti-Semitism is also to be expanded.