Dean's review of the year"Even in difficult times, we can communicate with each other in an appreciative and respectful manner“

1 December 2025, by Zsuzsa Becker

Photo: UHH/Hansen

In an interview, Dean Prof. Dr. Silke Segler-Meßner looks back on the year. After major successes and important developments, particularly in the area of digital infrastructure, the faculty is well positioned to start the new year 2026.

Moments of 2025:

For me, one of the highlights of 2025 was the reception for new faculty members on May 7, where twelve new colleagues introduced themselves. At the same time, this event always offers a wonderful opportunity for exchange and networking – the reception that followed was once again very well attended this year. I am very enthusiastic about this lively culture of communication in our faculty. A similarly dynamic atmosphere was also evident at the Research Day on November 19.

In addition to these faculty events, May 22 was one of the most memorable moments of the year for me: on this day, the DFG announced the clusters of excellence that will receive funding in the future, and our cluster “Understanding Written Artefacts” was among the selected projects. This was a great joy and an extraordinary success for our faculty, but also for the humanities nationwide.

As a third moment of dynamism, I would like to mention the press conference on October 21 on the occasion of the rehanging of Oskar Kokoschka's triptych “Thermopylae oder der Kampf um die Errettung des Abendlandes” in Lecture Hall D of the Philturm. For me, this work belongs to our faculty just as much as the busts of Ernst Cassirer and Bruno Snell in the foyer.

This particularly concerned us as a faculty:

The necessary budgetary austerity measures due to high energy costs and the measures for cybersecurity at the UHH greatly affected all members of our faculty. So far, we have been able to implement the necessary savings by filling vacancies and suspending LOMI, but they will continue to occupy us greatly in the coming year. The exceptionally trusting coordination with the departments and the faculty council has strengthened the dean's office in its actions. I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere thanks to all faculty members for this. The current budget situation and the uncertainty it brings are placing a heavy burden on all of us. However, even in difficult times, we can communicate with each other in an appreciative and respectful manner and work together to keep our faculty running. We demonstrated this last year, and we will continue to do so next year.

Behind the scenes:

In recent years, we have expanded the Dean's Office team to include Julia Nantke as Faculty Digital Officer and Thorsten Logge as Faculty Transfer Officer, thereby further strengthening and institutionalizing important cross-cutting issues. The expanded Dean's Office also includes Heike Zinsmeister as Faculty Information Officer and Kristin Merle as Equality Officer. This year, we were able to recruit Jan Horstmann as Scientific Coordinator for Digital Humanities for the newly established Digital Office Humanities. As a result, the faculty's digital strategy is gaining momentum.

This particularly moved me this year:

I was deeply affected by the tragic accidental death of Prof. Dr. Thomas Großbölting at the beginning of February, and I still am. I can still see him walking through the corridors with a smile on his face; he was always in a good mood, always had a kind word to say, and spread optimism. He is sorely missed in our faculty and, of course, in the Research Center for Contemporary History. As the holiday season approaches, my thoughts are with his family.

Three things that were successful in 2025:

In the area of study and teaching, I am particularly pleased about our faculty's participation in the ReAction project for experimental curriculum development. In research, the launch of new large-scale collaborative projects such as the DFG research group “Convergence on Dominant Language Constellations: World Englishes in their local multilingual ecologies” (CODILAC) led by Peter Siemund and the extension of the DFG Research Group ”Geistliche Intermedialität in der Frühen Neuzeit” led by Anselm Steiger. And on a personal note, I was very pleased that the Faculty Council re-elected me as Dean for a second term in the summer.

A book, a thought, or a conversation that inspired me:

The discussions with students in my seminars inspire and encourage me to continue advancing the development of our faculty. In my view, the humanities make a substantial contribution to securing a democratic future. Intergenerational exchange sensitizes me to the needs of the younger generation, which is more dependent than ever on the encouragement and confidence of older people.

What I am looking forward to in 2026:

I am looking forward to the discussions on profiling our faculty in the context of structural change. What unique selling points distinguish our faculty? What goals do we want to pursue together? The diversity we experience in our faculty is a special experience that can have an even greater impact on research, degree program development, and knowledge exchange.

A wish for the faculty:

Let's keep talking to each other and cultivate a culture of plurality that strengthens the university and democracy! I am convinced that there are no easy answers to complex problems.