No weapons at colleges and universities – that’s what students at the Ludwigs-Maximilians-University (LMU), the Technical University (TU) and the Munich University of Applied Sciences (HM) are demanding. The reason for this appeal is the incident from last week: An LMU student had come to the university with a gun, he carried it in a holster, at least at times, where it was clearly visible. He was taken away from a lecture by the police, and the pistol turned out to be a starter weapon. Since then there has been unrest and concern among students and staff at the LMU.
Now the student representatives of the three universities are “clearly against any kind of weapons at universities”, whether real or not, stabbing or apparent weapons. The house rules should be changed accordingly. Peaceful, scientific exchange should take place in universities, a weapon disturbs this. It means that teaching and learning are “no longer fearless” possible.
“The presence of an armed person in a lecture unsettles and frightens the students and the teacher present, because every weapon poses a potential danger at any time,” says a statement from the student representatives. “The supposedly increased personal sense of security of the person carrying it is at the expense of the sense of security and the security of everyone else present and therefore cannot be tolerated.”
The student representatives expressly thank the management of the TU and HM “for the quick and accommodating cooperation”. It is noticeable that they do not thank the LMU, which is headed by President Bernd Huber. Sebastian Rein, spokesman for the three representations, confirms that the reaction from the LMU is very cautious. It is “absolutely incomprehensible” to ban roller skating in the LMU, but not the carrying of weapons.
The 18-year-old has the small firearms license
The 18-year-old student, son of a politician, carries his blank gun legally because he has the so-called small gun license. According to SZ information, a photo showing him standing at the desk with the clearly visible weapon was taken on Monday last week. Only the next day, when the student was sitting in the Audimax, did someone alert the police. There was no danger, police said.
The state government does not clearly support the demands of the student representatives. When asked by the SZ, a spokesman for the Ministry of Science emphasized that there was “no place” for weapons at universities, but otherwise they stayed out: house rules are a matter for the universities. The LMU, in turn, has announced via a spokeswoman that the issue is being taken “very seriously”, examined “carefully” and the university committees are considering whether to tighten house rules.
The Ludwig Maximilians University is considering a ban
Meanwhile, concern, and sometimes anger, is apparently also growing among lecturers at the LMU. A lecturer who asked not to publish his name out of concern for disadvantages within the university contacted the SZ. “I’m outraged,” he says of the reaction of the university management. In an email to the deans, President Huber announced that the “legal requirements” for a general ban would have to be “carefully examined”. The lecturer considers this vague announcement to be insufficient, and the house rules must be changed immediately.
An LMU lecturer who, for the same reasons as her colleague, does not want to be named is also disappointed and upset. Apparently, students are allowed to carry a blank gun, provided they have a small firearms license, as long as they leave it in their pocket. “I don’t feel safe,” she says. After the incident, she would have liked the Executive Committee to send a clear signal to the staff, students and the public that weapons would not be tolerated. She is also disappointed that there has been no political discussion so far. “Nothing happens. That doesn’t work.”