The Munich University of Music and Theater has changed a lot after legal proceedings against its ex-president and a composition professor. An external study on abuse of power, sexualized violence and discrimination is now intended to provide information about the status quo.
The Mauser cause has had a lasting impact on the Munich University of Music and Theater (HMTM). Its former president Siegfried Mauser was sentenced to two years and nine months in prison for sexual assault, among other things. A total of four women had reported the music professor for sexual misconduct, the processes took place in 2015 and 2017. An investigation was also carried out against the former composition professor Hans-Jürgen von Bose.
Since then, the university has tried to deal with what happened in-house and introduced various measures to prevent future attacks on the teacher-student relationship or among colleagues. For the first time, the university management has commissioned an external scientific survey of all university members on the subject of “abuse of power, sexualised violence and discrimination” for the 2023 summer semester.
This study is designed, implemented and evaluated by the “Institute for Practical Research and Project Consulting” (IPP). The aim is “to record the current status of the experience of students, teachers and employees of the university administration with abuse of power, sexualised violence and discrimination”. They want to check whether the measures taken in recent years are having an effect and where further improvements are still needed. For example, teaching in private rooms is now prohibited, and complaints channels have been institutionalized, including a network of confidants. A “Code of Conduct” was established and a comprehensive range of training, education and awareness-raising programs was created.
Lydia Grün, President of the HMTM since 2022, says: “Respectful interaction and a clear awareness of responsibility and limits on the part of everyone involved are basic requirements for the high-quality and inspiring training work that we strive for. Our university must be a safe place for everyone be a member of the university.”
The IPP Munich is an independent research institute sponsored by the non-profit Association for Psychosocial Initiatives (VfPI). It has experience with studies in the context of sexualised violence. The IPP has already carried out corresponding investigations in church institutions and organizations in the Odenwald School. The study is financed by the Bavarian State Ministry for Science and Art.
The IPP is supported at the HMTM by a support group that comes from all areas – students, teachers and administrative staff. Later, all members of the university are questioned with a specifically developed questionnaire. This “complete survey” will take place in accordance with all data protection regulations and, due to the international nature of the university, in German and English. A public presentation of the results is planned for the winter semester 2023/24.