Last updated 5. March 2025 | Alternative Lehre

The following events took place in the summer semester 22 in Alternative Teaching

Reading Lukács II

The aim of the event is to trace the founding moments of Western Marxism as part of a reading group. The volume of essays by Georg Lukács “History and Class Consciousness” (1923), which can probably be regarded as an outstanding initial moment for a broad discussion of Marx’s theory and its further development, will serve this purpose. Lukács’ elaboration of a ‘psychology of the proletariat’ was widely received, particularly in the critical theory of the Frankfurt School and the 1968 movement with Rudi Dutschke, but also as a negative point of reference for a ‘humanist position’ of Marxism in France. The Marxist Frantz Fanon, who is now assigned to post-colonial theory, and the founder of post-colonial theory Edward Said were decisively influenced by Lukács. Lukács’ theorems have also become central to the liberation movement in the global South.

In general, Lukács’ reification theorem, which is based on Marx’s theory of value, has become an integral part of today’s left-wing discourse. Nevertheless, Lukács is increasingly being forgotten and his theory is often dismissed as dogmatic-Stalinist confusion. This may not be entirely wrong for some periods of Lukács’ life, but his occasional dogmatism does not prohibit a serious debate. On the contrary: the early neo-Kantian Lukács, the middle to late Hegelian-Marxist Lukács and the occasional party functionary Lukács, reflected as a contemporary the enormous upheavals of the 20th century; from the Weimar Republic to the world wars and the social revolutions, Lukács symptomatically weaves these relevant and still formative events into his work.

The topic of the alternative teaching for this semester, “Student Revolution”, shows that an interest in Lukács’ theory is anything but anachronistic. The reception of Lukács in the 1968 movement is just one of the most striking examples of the close connection between Lukács’ theory and revolutionary (student) movements. The reading group started last semester will therefore be continued this semester. Anyone who likes is cordially invited to join.

Resistance in film – from May in Paris to the present day

In our seminar, we want to give space to our passion for film and watch and discuss films together with the participants on six dates that deal with the possibility of resistance and revolution.
We have provisionally selected the following films:

1. Bernardo Bertolucci – The Dreamers
2. Jean-Luc Godard – La Chinoise
3. Agnés Varda – Vogelfrei
4. Agnés Varda – Black Panthers & a movie of the L.A. Rebellion
5. Jean-Gabriel Périot – A German Youth
6. Eliza Capai – Your Turn

Starting with May Day in Paris and the protests of 1968 in Germany, we would like to reflect on the (mis)successes of past protest movements and the effects of resistance on the interpersonal relationships of the resisters, as portrayed in the films of Bertolucci and Godard. Varda’s films can give us an understanding of resistance from a specifically female perspective and the films of the L.A. Rebellion, a film movement of African and African-American film students from the late 1960s to the late 1980s, from a decidedly Black perspective, while Périot tells the story of the student movement in Germany. Capai concludes with an inspiring document of the recent protests by Brazilian pupils and students, which shows us that radical resistance is not a relic of the 20th century and is still possible for a post-socialist left.

In addition to the six dates on which we will watch the selected films together, we will provide the participants with in-depth literature on the theory of film and resistance, which has the potential to deepen the discussions after our film screenings.

We are not proven film experts, but we will prepare for the respective events with regard to the directors, their work and the context in which their film was made and share our most exciting insights with the participants in advance.

“Our house is on fire!” – How we can still stay within the 1.5 degree limit

We are delighted to announce that we are cooperating with the AStA of the University of Hamburg and you can take part in this lecture series:

The summer semester is just around the corner. And what does that mean? That’s right! The lecture series organized by Fridays for Future and the AStA of the University of Hamburg is entering its third round.

We have already learned a lot about the climate crisis in the last two semesters, but we are not running out of topics. On the contrary: the climate crisis and its social, ecological and economic consequences and effects are more topical than ever and yet are still far too rarely found on the curricula of universities and colleges. Yet Hamburg in particular has a lot to offer in the field of climate research, including the Cluster of Excellence Climate, Climatic Change, and Society, or CLICCS for short. This should also be reflected in a broader range of degree courses and interdisciplinary options with an explicit focus on climate change! It is incredibly important to understand the climate crisis not only from the natural sciences, but also to link the consequences and accompanying effects with economics, social sciences and the humanities. A multi-layered crisis needs interdisciplinary problem analyses and proposed solutions! So no matter which subject you study – it concerns us all! After all, this is about our past as well as our present and how we want to shape our future. That’s why everyone is welcome at our lecture series: whether you attended the last two lectures or not; whether you are studying geography, business studies, medicine, chemistry or art history; whether you already know a lot or nothing at all. The high number of participants in the last two semesters has shown us that we were exactly right and that we must not stop now under any circumstances.

The lecture series 3.0 will focus primarily on intersectional topics and provide a good overview of various areas of the climate crisis – from species extinction, hydrogen and the energy transition, to climate and classism and climate psychology. There is something for everyone this semester.

The lecture will be offered at the University of Hamburg, HAW, TUHH, Hafencity University and Leuphana Lüneburg. Of course, we will also be streaming on the nationwide Fridays for Future YouTube channel and uploading the videos after the lecture: https://www.youtube.com/c/FridaysForFutureDE/videos?view=0&sort=dd&flow=grid

Belarus: prisons and students

• short history/introduction on Belarus
• academic freedoms in Belarus/functioning of the independent Belarusian students’ union (BSA – AStA analogue)
• repressions over students in details (detention, criminal code of Belarus, indicted chardes, conditions in prisons)
• directly involved German institutions and politicians into the “student case”
• questions, discussion

The influence of business on science – Is the freedom of science in danger?

1.4 billion euros flow from industry to German universities every year – that corresponds to a fifth of all third-party funding. Are companies trying to influence science? Is the freedom of research and teaching in danger? This workshop will provide an overview of the links between business and science at all German universities.

Statutory pressure to economize and the increasing decoupling of predictable basic funding from the assigned tasks are today endangering the constitutionally guaranteed independence of science and its orientation towards the common good. The compulsion to raise funds externally in conjunction with the strengthening and hierarchization of institutions and the systematic marginalization of democratic self-administration, combined with the simultaneous withdrawal of supervisory authorities from technical and legal supervision, lead to a lack of transparency and a tendency towards corruption and endanger the autonomy of science. In the name of their own institutional academic freedom, the decision-makers of corporate academic institutions are themselves increasingly curtailing the constitutionally guaranteed freedoms of their academics.

Independent science is a central feature of a free society. We need it to critically accompany democratic processes. However, if actors outside the university have a say in the content of research and teaching, the independence of science is at risk.

With Hochschulwatch.de, we want to initiate a debate about the influence of companies on universities. The data and research provide the basis for this and should lead to more transparency in science in the long term.

Global justice: An introduction from and into philosophical perspectives

Material prosperity and individual life opportunities are hugely unevenly distributed between countries in the Global North and those in the Global South. Many people believe that this is unfair. But how far does our duty in the North extend to making the world fairer? What duties of justice do we have towards the Global South? What exactly are they based on? In other words: What does the buzzword “global (in)justice” actually mean and require in concrete terms?

The seminar aims to approach these questions from an ethical-philosophical perspective. In the seminar, we will encounter various (all modern) philosophers, some of whom have answered them in completely different ways. For example, it has already been argued that people in the North are morally obliged to give up almost all the privileges they receive at birth. The question of whether we owe all people around the world exactly the same or whether duties of justice do not also allow – or even demand! – to support those who live in a direct political community with us a little more.

However, questions of global justice can never be answered without an analysis of the current political and economic world order. We will therefore also read texts from the fields of political economy and international relations. We will also address the question of how our theoretical considerations (should) relate to daily political practice. Ultimately, the seminar is intended to contribute to providing us with orientation in a time in which all political (justice) questions must be thought of globally and appropriate solutions must be found.

Now we protect ourselves – We encrypt our data and use encrypted communication

Technical devices such as computers, smartphones and other devices are part of our everyday lives. Many of these devices contain personal and sensitive data, and we don’t want this data to fall into the wrong hands. We also use emails, instant messaging and social networks to communicate. Not all services offer transport encryption or encryption on the end devices.

This workshop is about learning how to use technical devices securely and how data encryption can be activated on computers such as Windows or macOS using BitLocker or FileVault. External storage media such as USB sticks or hard disks can be encrypted using open source software such as VeraCrypt. Smartphones should also be secured accordingly through data encryption.

Another point is the use of encrypted communication, whether on mobile devices or computers. We will work together to set up encrypted, digitally signed emails. The role played by the security of end devices through updates and security software rounds off the package. Updates to firmware or the BIOS with regard to security vulnerabilities, such as in the Intel Management Engine, should also play a role.

How and with which software complete backups of Windows computers can be created is also presented. A program for software management to check for updates is demonstrated.

After all, it’s about basic IT protection in the modern age. The workshop is aimed at Windows and macOS devices, as well as iOS and Android.

Right to information – We ask the state – The Freedom of Information Act (IFG) in practice

Everyone has the right to information from politics and administration. The FragDenStaat portal helps to enforce this right. We use this portal to submit requests under the IFG, UIG, VIG and transparency laws to obtain documents from public authorities.

Why is freedom of information important?
Because access to knowledge gives the population the power to act in an informed and self-determined manner. Knowledge of power becomes public knowledge. Freedom of information is a means of monitoring political processes. It can prevent corruption and increase the transparency and accountability of politics and administration. The free flow of information through the state strengthens and revitalizes democracy because it makes participation possible. Only those who have insight into how collectively binding decisions are made can effectively influence them – provided that appropriate democratic means are available.

Freedom of information is an issue of social justice. Information also enables participation for people from groups that have no special access to politics and administration. Freedom of information is the right to free access to official information. It is one of the most important fundamental rights in the knowledge society, which arises from Article 5 of the Basic Law on freedom of expression and information.

In order to enable well-founded and equal political debates, politicians and administrators must disclose the information on which their actions are based. Such transparency and early involvement of people in decisions can counteract democratic fatigue, propaganda and the formation of parallel societies.

Political parties have long been in the process of replacing the idea of “official secrecy” with a culture of transparency and participation. All non-personal administrative data from the state, local authorities and companies that perform public service tasks should be made available on a central online platform. Transparency laws provide the basis for this.

What opportunities are there for citizens, journalists, civil society and companies? How do politicians and administrations themselves benefit from a better overview of their data?

The participants will recognize how access to this information is made possible by means of the IFG, UIG, VIG and transparency laws. They will get to know the portal FragDenStaat.de, which allows them to make these requests. The project is run by the Open Knowledge Foundation.

Resonance theory

Bring on the good life! (But what does it actually look like?) One of the main concerns of Hartmut Rosa’s “Sociology of World Relations” is to repoliticize and de-individualize the concept of a good life. Our idea of a good life is still shaped by ideals such as autonomy or the maximization of our resources. With the concept of resonance, Rosa counters the modernist imperative to increase with a completely different vision of a successful life. In this seminar, we will read and discuss excerpts from Hartmut Rosa’s works “Resonance” and “Unavailability”. We will deal with acceleration as the overarching program of modernity and the resulting dynamics of alienation, with the analytical and normative categories of resonance and alienation and with a critique of resonance relations. In doing so, we will attempt to link the theory to everyday experiences and also discuss points of connection to related discourses such as post-growth. At the end, however, we will also take a critical look at resonance theory itself and confront it with objections from critical theory.
This is my plan for the design of the seminar, which is not intended as a fixed syllabus but rather as a suggestion. I would be delighted if you could contribute your own interests so that we can discuss the topics that really interest us all. No special prior knowledge is required to take part in the seminar and a heterogeneous group of participants will enrich the discussion.

Writing workshop: Let’s Revolutionize Wikipedia!

The internet encyclopaedia Wikipedia has certainly helped us all a lot during our studies – useful facts, figures and sources can be found there very clearly.
But did you know that Wikipedia is extremely male-dominated? According to studies, over 90% of contributors are male, the majority of them from the global North and aged between 35 and 44. This results in a huge underrepresentation of FLINTA* and BIPoC perspectives and articles – for example, only about 17% of biographies on Wikipedia are about women.
We want to change that! Let’s bring in new perspectives and work together on articles about moving FLINTA*s or BIPoCs and make Wikipedia a bit more diverse.
At the beginning of the writing workshop there will be a short input on the development of Wikipedia and on writing articles – then we’ll get straight to it! We want to create a cozy and creative atmosphere together. Feel free to bring along ideas about people or topics – experience has shown that these also emerge quickly when brainstorming together.
We look forward to welcoming lots of participants!

Experiencing the world through art

A place that can be
A collective learning space
An archive of diverse past and present voices
And a studio of ideas and dreams, of visions, of the self and the us
.

This semester, I would like to use the framework and resources of Alternative Teaching to open up a space in which we can talk about transformation, social movements and our own place in the world with all its (confusing) processes. Central to this will be the role of artistic practices for ourselves and in relation to society. Art can open the doors to our own inner processes, connect us with other people and enable a critical and transformative engagement with the world.

What moves you? What do you want to learn and how can we support each other as a collective? Which people do we relate to, who paved the way for us? How can we give our own artistic creation more space in our lives? What other (artistic, physical) forms of knowledge exist and how can we make them fruitful for our personal or university (research) processes?

Many questions and we are sure to find even more. Depending on what we all bring to the table, we can design the space the way we want it to be. People and ideas that can help us with this include Paolo Freire’s Critical Pedagogy or bell hook’s Transgressive Learning Approach. At the end of the joint process, we can consider how we can present what we have learned and communicate it to the outside world, perhaps in the form of an exhibition, a zine or a performance.

So let’s stretch our imaginations, unpack our brushes and cameras, plunge into forgotten archives, share stories of social movements and moving (art) practice and paint our visions on walls.

Zine – Project “Randbemerkungen”

A zine is a kind of self-designed magazine with a small print run. It can contain pretty much anything, whether poems, prose, photos, drawings, essays, collages or comics… What exactly goes into the zine, when and how we print the zine, everything is discussed and agreed together. In the winter semester 20/21, the zine project was offered for the first time as part of alternative teaching. Within the project, the first edition of the zine was created under the title “Randbemerkungen”. We want to start a second edition with the course, with new ideas, new impulses and new perspectives. Everyone is welcome to participate. We are particularly keen to give bipocs, flinta* and queer people a space for their voices within the zine. It would also be conceivable to organize an interactive charity event as the highlight of the zine, where the art is shown publicly and donations are collected – depending on the direction in which the project develops.