The Oldenburg University Society (UGO) was founded 50 years ago - two years before the university. A look at the history of the association shows the close ties between the university and its supporters.
The decision to establish an academic university was made by the Oldenburg City Council back in 1959, but it took almost 15 years before it was implemented: the University of Oldenburg was officially founded on 5 December 1973 and began teaching in the summer semester of 1974.
As early as 1964, a "Support Group for a University of Oldenburg" had been formed, which was primarily supported by personalities from business, the judiciary and scientific and cultural institutions in the city of Oldenburg. "It can certainly be seen as the forerunner of the Oldenburg University Society," says Hon. Prof. Dr Werner Brinker, the current Chair of the UGO. In his presentation at the "Oldenburg Climate Days" on 23 June, he took a look back at the 50-year history of the University Society.
Its official birth took place on 26 April 1972, when the founding meeting of the non-profit association was held and those present elected medical doctor Dr Hans-Arnold Simon as its first Chair. The mission: to promote the relationship between the yet-to-be-founded university and the population and to support research and teaching. In the same year, the number of UGO members rose to 170. "The founding and development of the University of Oldenburg is very much linked to the commitment of the Oldenburg University Society and its prominent representatives," emphasised Brinker.
The UGO as a mediator
Especially in the early years of the university, the UGO played an important role as a mediator. After all, this period was not without conflict: although the new academic university was highly welcomed in the city as the successor to the University of Education, there was initially a certain amount of scepticism among the population towards the young academics who were striving for far-reaching social change. The UGO helped to overcome the distance of some of Oldenburg's middle classes from the so-called reform university and to integrate it into the region. "The University Society created a forum for dialogue between local institutions and interested individuals as well as university representatives," said Brinker.
At the beginning, the UGO was also characterised by two different currents. "On the one hand, the representatives of a traditional full-scale university from the more conservative middle classes and business, and on the other, members of the trade unions, large sections of the Social Democrats and members of the teacher training college, who were pushing for a more co-determined reform university," reported Brinker. However, the representatives of both movements were united in their political stance.
Gerhard Wachsmann, the then President of the Oldenburg Chamber of Industry and Commerce, played a key role in this. He was Chair of the UGO from 1976. "Gerhard Wachsmann repeatedly supported the development of the university with the weight of his voice and the backing of the institutions he represented," summarised Brinker. For example, he called for construction measures for the library and sports facilities, pushed for the establishment of the energy laboratory and prevented the physics degree programme from being discontinued in 1980.
Strong cohesion among all those involved
A new phase began when Peter Waskönig took over as UGO Chair in 1994. Under the leadership of the committed entrepreneur from Saterland, the university society expanded its commitment, initiated new event formats and intensified contact with member companies.
Over the years, the UGO has repeatedly supported the university in disputes with various state governments over funding - not least since 2012 with the founding and expansion of University Medicine Oldenburg. Brinker sees the strong cohesion between the university society, university, city and region as an important reason for the university's successful development after its difficult founding phase.
This can be seen, for example, in the establishment of several non-university research institutes as well as the close co-operation between the university and its affiliated institutes and the regional economy. "The members of UGO and its board members were aware from the outset that a university with its research fields, lecturers and students would provide new impetus for society and the regional economy," says Brinker.
With donations from its now almost 1,000 members and the proceeds from its sponsoring foundation, the UGO today supports events such as the New Year's reception or "Auftakt", the ceremonial opening of the academic year, and awards various prizes each year, such as the UGO prizes for outstanding doctorates, excellent research and outstanding doctoral supervisors.
With the new "Oldenburg Climate Days" format, which took place for the first time in the Alte Fleiwa in 2022 to mark the 50th anniversary of the founding of the UGO, the University Society aims to raise public awareness of topics such as sustainability, biodiversity, climate change and renewable energies. The aim is to "get the city and region excited about the topic of sustainability", emphasised Brinker. For companies, sustainability should not be seen as a risk, but as a real opportunity. "At this point," summarised the UGO Chair, "the University Society can once again assume its function as a bridge between science, business and society."
