Berlin's 2025 budget includes cuts totaling three billion euros, 250 million of which will directly impact the scientific sector. Additional cuts of two billion euros are being discussed for Berlin's 2026 budget, along with the potential withdrawal from the university contracts signed in 2024.

In response to these cuts and the breach of university agreements, members from all Berlin universities, together with trade unions, joined the protests. Members of the Department of Physics at Freie Universität Berlin also took part in the “Save Brain City” demonstration in front of the Berlin House of Representatives.

Students, professors, the dean’s office, the precision mechanics workshop, and many administrative staff members all voiced their frustration. The universities were also supported by artists who see their livelihoods threatened by the proposed cuts.

“Education, research, art, and culture are the magnets that attract so many talented people to Berlin and help retain local talent,” said Professor Piet Brouwer, Dean of the Department of Physics. Without secure funding, ‘Brain City Berlin,’ as the city has been promoted since 2018 in a major campaign by the Berlin Senate, could not only lose its appeal but also face an exodus of early-career researchers. “Furthermore, we see the training of urgently needed teachers and Berlin’s innovation potential at serious risk.”

Further Information (in German):

Wie die Freie Universität auf die Kürzungen des Berliner Senats reagiert

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