On Tuesday, May 19, 2026, ARD aired the documentary “Macht_Spiel” as part of its “report mainz” series, focusing on the abuse of power at music conservatories.
The Karlsruhe University of Music has been addressing its responsibility regarding this issue for many years and supports students and faculty members who are confronted with problems such as abuse of power, discrimination, or sexual harassment. In addition to the president, other contact persons are available as points of contact; those affected can find information about them on the “Protection and Help” page in both German and English.
In recent years, our university has implemented numerous structural measures at various levels to combat abuse of power, including, for example, the establishment of a system of contact persons and departmental representatives, the adoption of a binding Code of Conduct, the adoption of clear regulations prohibiting instruction outside university premises, and regulations governing personal relationships between faculty and students. To obtain reliable insights into the extent and manifestations of this issue, we are participating in the ongoing scientific study on abuse of power at German music colleges conducted by the independent research institute IPP Munich. In addition, numerous communication initiatives have contributed and continue to contribute to ongoing awareness-raising on the topic, including the flyer “R! Treating Each Other with Respect – Respecting Boundaries,” participation in the nationwide action day “Art. Power. Humanity,” an anonymous survey of all university members on power and hierarchy, as well as informational materials with contact details for all support services, supplemented by professional development opportunities for faculty and contact persons.
Rector Matthias Wiegandt is particularly committed to evaluating the success and further developing the measures already implemented: “It is very important to us that the structures we have created are actually used and can have a real impact. This summer, we will therefore participate in the REMUS study on the resilience and empowerment of music students. We hope this will provide us, for the first time, with scientifically sound foundations for the further development of our measures. We are aware that, despite all these measures, we cannot completely prevent isolated instances of problematic behavior by faculty members toward students from continuing to occur. However, we want to ensure, both now and in the future, that we do everything in our power to provide those affected with the greatest possible support.”
The Rectors’ Conference of German Universities of Music (RKM) has published a statement on this topic, which you can read here.
The ARD report “Macht_Spiel” can be found here.