Alumni-News: 25th Anniversary Celebration

For the first time, the University of Siegen invited alumni who graduated or completed their doctorates in the year 2000 to a “silver anniversary celebration.” More than 100 graduates attended the reception in the Audimax on the Adolf-Reichwein-Straße campus and received their anniversary certificates from Rector Prof. Dr. Stefanie Reese.

Twenty-five years ago, when the graduates of the University of Siegen received their diplomas, the occasion was not celebrated with much fanfare. They would pick up the envelope at the office or simply receive the document in the mail. “This time, we want to celebrate with you,” explained Dr. Susanne Padberg, head of the University of Siegen’s alumni association. To mark the silver anniversary, she had therefore invited the graduates to a reunion on the Haardter Berg campus. And over 100 alumni came to celebrate this milestone, share memories, and see how their university has changed. Phrases like “Do you remember…?” and “Things looked different back then!” were therefore frequently heard in the Audimax. The lecture hall, too, has changed enormously since their student days. In the past, people sat at tables on the floor in rows one behind the other; now, the guests took their seats in ascending rows of chairs.

They were welcomed by Rector Prof. Dr. Stefanie Reese. “This is the first time we’re honoring our university’s graduates 25 years after graduation, and it’s wonderful to see that so many accepted the invitation. We even have guests from Spain, Morocco, Sweden, and Switzerland here today,” the Rector said happily. In her speech, she took the guests on a journey through time, exploring the history of the University of Siegen.

Much has changed, not only in terms of buildings but also structurally. “Diplom” and “Magister” degrees are a thing of the past; the departments have become Schools and academic units. Overcrowded lecture halls, which were the norm during the alumni’s student days, are now a rarity; instead, there are digital forms of teaching that were unthinkable back then. “Just like I did back in the day, you probably spent hours at the photocopier in the library,” recalled Stefanie Reese. In lectures, most students still sat with a pen and notepad, and putting together a class schedule meant laboriously flipping through the pages of the course catalog. The alumni nodded and smiled at the memory.

© Alumni-Büro Universität Siegen

In addition to looking back, the event also focused on the current academic situation, the university’s campuses in the heart of Siegen, and the latest research highlights. The alumni were very impressed by the University of Siegen’s success with the “Color meets Flavor” Cluster of Excellence—about which Rector Stefanie Reese was able to provide a first-hand update—as well as by the new INCYTE building, the interdisciplinary research center for nanoanalytics, nanochemistry, and sensor technology, which is set to open soon.

Rector Reese then ceremoniously presented the certificates to the honorees and congratulated them on their successful career paths. Throughout the afternoon, alumni had the opportunity to join various campus tours to explore, among other things, the renovated library and the INCYTE building, or to continue reminiscing—accompanied by staff from the Department of Architectural History—in the buildings on the Adolf-Reichwein-Straße campus, Hölderlin, and Paul Bonatz Street, accompanied by faculty members from the Department of Architectural History. In the evening, the guests gathered at the Bistro—one of today’s LEOs (learning spaces)—where they had once met or celebrated during their student days, to bring the anniversary celebration to a close.

© Alumni-Büro Universität Siegen

Some alumni also took the opportunity the next day to participate in the Open University’s diverse program and explore the Unteres Schloss campus during a guided tour organized exclusively for them.

Audio Report

In this audio report, alumni share what it feels like to visit the university again after 25 years, to see former classmates once more, and to reflect on how their studies have enriched their lives. 
Lectures on topics such as sexual disorders or renowned philosophers and sociologists—like Watzlawick and Luhmann, whom people today mostly know only from textbooks—kept students on their toes back then. 
To experience this once-in-a-lifetime event, some alumni are even willing to travel a few thousand kilometers…

This article was written by Sabine Nitz, Executive Department for Press, Communications, and Marketing. 
The audio report was produced by Duygu Cicek of the Alumni Office.