Anniversaries are a central point of reference in our historical culture. But the anniversary also has a story of its own. This is particularly true for universities as training grounds for social elites and as sites that derive their prominent function also from their tradition. Academic foundation anniversaries thus become central occurrences for attributing social relevance to universities, colleges and their members. Various media compete in such anniversaries as individual and collective identities are staged and (re-)produced not only through commemorative publications and speeches, but also through student festivities, public celebrations, or even protests. The 15contributions of this anthology analyze long-past as well as recent European university anniversaries. In doing so, they provide a historical overview of anniversary (media) cultures, and at the same time offer an orientation for critically assessing present day jubilees.
Anton F. Guhl, Karlsruher Institut für Technologie und Gisela Hürlimann, TU Dresden.
