The Free University of Berlin has canceled an exhibition about antisemitic pogroms throughout history, citing fears of "emotional reactions" from students.
? NOW: Students tried to barricade themselves in the Free University of Berlin, threatening to destroy the server room if police entered the building. They demanded an immediate end to the deep-seated relationship between the university and the State of Israel, among other… pic.twitter.com/StouYZ3d5n
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The exhibition, "Circle of Magic" by the British National Holocaust Museum, was scheduled to open at the Free University in February 2025. It aimed to showcase several Jewish communities affected by pogroms throughout history in Europe, North Africa, and Israel, including the Hamas attacks in southern Israel on October 7.
A protest camp has started at Berlin's Freie Universität pic.twitter.com/d9KVXqrDCH
— James Jackson (@derJamesJackson) May 7, 2024
According to Jüdische Allgemeine, a Jewish magazine distributed in Germany, the university's history department initially appeared interested in hosting the exhibition.
However, in recent days, the university decided to cancel the exhibition through an announcement by Vice President Verna Bellinger-Talcott. Initially, no additional explanations were provided for her intervention and the exhibition's cancellation. In response to the Jewish magazine's inquiry, the Free University's press department stated that the university building's lobby where the exhibition was to be displayed is "not a suitable location for such an exhibition" as it could trigger "emotional reactions." The university expressed concerns about "intense debates" that might disrupt order in the public space. Currently, discussions are ongoing about finding an alternative venue for the exhibition, though no new location has been secured yet.
Police evict pro-Palestine encampment at Berlin's Freie Universität, reportedly after being called by the Uni's president pic.twitter.com/c0ijcLUBSx
— James Jackson (@derJamesJackson) May 7, 2024
The violent demonstrations that occurred several months ago at the Free University in Germany appear to be causing concern among university administration about their recurrence, leading to the decision to remove discourse about antisemitism and Israel-related context from the public space.
The exhibition's cancellation is not an isolated incident, as several events discussing antisemitism and Israel have been canceled at German universities in recent months. Recently, two lectures criticizing antisemitism with connections to Israel were canceled at the University of Freiburg, and an additional lecture by an Israeli professor was canceled at Leipzig University due to security concerns.
Israel's Ambassador to Germany, Ron Prosor, commented on the exhibition's cancellation, saying, "Only at the 'Free' University in Berlin, where a culture of Jewish persecution exists in the form of violence, blocked access, and online exams for Jewish students out of concern for their safety, can the removal of an exhibition about Holocaust remembrance be justified due to 'suspected emotional distress.'"
