The world-renowned social philosopher Jürgen Habermas lived in Starnberg for more than 50 years and was made an honorary citizen in 2009. He died on March 14 of this year at the age of 96 in his hometown. The renaming is scheduled to take effect for the 2027/2028 school year.
School principal Thomas Volz said he was surprised by the decision. He announced that he would discuss the council’s proposal in an “open discourse” with the school’s committees — very much in the spirit of Habermas. Volz emphasized that Habermas was a great figure whose socio-political significance deserved recognition.
Experts involved in the decision-making process include Professor Ursula Münch, director of the Academy for Political Education in Tutzing, and historian Norbert Frei. Frei had already given the speech at a memorial service for Habermas at Frankfurt’s Paulskirche. Now the school directorate, faculty, parent council, and student council (SMV) must deliberate. A school forum is to pass a resolution and forward a request to the Ministry of Culture.
Volz himself was cautious about the name change. He said he could also envision establishing a Habermas Prize or commemorating the philosopher’s work through symposia. He also noted that the name “Gymnasium Starnberg” conveys a strong regional identity. District Administrator Stefan Frey (CSU), who himself graduated from this school, stressed that the school community must ultimately decide on the namesake — and must “identify with him in a special way.”
Source: www.sueddeutsche.de
