Press releases – 2023

More than 5.5 million Muslims live in Germany, a growing number of whom want to be buried here after their death. This rising demand for Islamic burials presents German municipalities and Muslim communities with a variety of challenges. 

FRANKFURT. Without a coffin, facing Mecca – these are the religious guidelines according to which Muslims are traditionally buried. But to what extent do contemporary German cemeteries meet these guidelines? What solutions have cemetery operators found to enable burials according to Islamic rites? 

AIWG's recently published report “Islamische Grabfelder und Bestattungen auf deutschen Friedhöfen" [“Islamic burial grounds and burials in German cemeteries"] provides the first accurate reflection – based on a broad database – of the current status of Islamic burials in municipal cemeteries in Germany. As part of his research fellowship for the AIWG expertise, the main author, Prof. Thomas Lemmen of the Catholic University of Applied Sciences of North Rhine-Westphalia, carried out a quantitative survey. Some 86 percent of the more than 300 cemetery administrations nationwide that have Islamic burial plots took part in the poll, whose data shows that from a legal point of view, there are few obstacles to burial in conformity with Islam. Put differently: German burial law largely takes into account the religious beliefs of Muslims. 

The high level of interest shown by cemetery administrations in Islamic burials reflects the changing reality of Germany as a migration society. An important study result is the finding that, in the municipal context, the successful implementation of burial regulations has been the result of the discourse between cemetery administrations and Muslim interest groups. 

"Cemetery administrations in Germany are very well positioned to meet the challenges of setting up Islamic burial plots. The fact that the overwhelming majority of them not only took part in the extensive survey, but also that many cemetery administrations are now in close contact with local Muslim communities, is a sign of successful integration and functioning interfaith cooperation," says Thomas Lemmen. 

The publication not only includes empirical data and information on historical developments, but also illustrative material as well as articles on rituals and practical issues relating to the religious principles and procedures of Islamic burials, written by Dr. Özgür Uludağ. 

"Part of life is the end of it, with the place of burial serving as the final and eternal resting place. Funeral directors, local authorities and cemetery administrators also have to address growing religious and ideological heterogeneity. This expert report provides important information not only for them, but also for academics working on the subject. Beyond that, it is aimed at Muslims and their institutions, who are not only confronted with specific religious questions in the event of death in Germany, but also with official and practical challenges," says AIWG managing director Dr. Raida Chbib. 

The full publication (in German) can be downloaded from the AIWG website at
https://aiwg.de/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/AIWG010_Expertise_230803_Screen.pdf 

About the authors 

Prof. Dr. Thomas Lemmen is an honorary professor in the Faculty of Social Sciences at the Catholic University of Applied Sciences North Rhine-Westphalia's Cologne department, and director of the part-time Master's course "Interreligious Dialog Competence". His research focuses on the fundamentals and practical approaches of interreligious dialog as well as current topics related to Muslim life in Germany. From October 2021 to June 2022, he worked as a research fellow at the AIWG on the project "Islamic burials in Germany: A review of the adaptation of state and municipal burial regulations to the religious needs and expectations of Muslims in Germany". You can read more about the AIWG research fellowship here (in German). 

Dr. Özgür Uludağ studied Islamic Studies, Philosophy, Political Science, Turkish Studies and Sociology of Migration at the University of Hamburg. He completed his doctorate at Kiel University with a dissertation on "Islamic burials and the decision-making process when choosing a grave location". In addition to his studies, he worked for many years as a funeral director at Muslim funerals. As part of his AIWG practice fellowship, he created a multimedia website on Islamic funerals in Germany, which is available at (in German): https://one.pageflow.io/islamische-bestattungen-in-deutschland#344736 

Further information
Stefanie Golla-Dehmamy
Coordinator Science Communication and PR
Academy for Islam in Research and Society
Goethe University Frankfurt
Phone: +49 (0)69 798-22459
E-Mail golla@aiwg.de
Homepage https://aiwg.de/ 

About the AIWG
The Academy for Islam in Research and Society (AIWG) at the Goethe University in Frankfurt conducts interdisciplinary research and transfer activities with a focus on Islamic Theological Studies and Muslim life in Germany. It connects all faculties for Islamic Theological Studies or Islamic religious pedagogy located in a University in Germany. The academy addresses issues of social participation by including perspectives related to religion. The AIWG is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research.

Editor: Dr. Anke Sauter, Science Editor, PR & Communication Office, Tel: +49 (0)69 798-13066, Fax: +49 (0) 69 798-763 12531, sauter@pvw.uni-frankfurt.de

With the upcoming installation of its first quantum computer, Goethe University will join the list of leading German universities in the field of applied quantum computing: Based on the technology of nitrogen vacancies in a synthetic diamond, Frankfurt's first quantum computer, named "Baby Diamond", will start as a pilot system with five qubits. Ulm-based start-up XeedQ is scheduled to deliver the device in the first quarter of 2024, with initial pilot users expected to come from Goethe University Frankfurt and the National High Performance Computing NHR Alliance. 

The topic of quantum computing is a future technology that is currently on everyone's lips, promising to tackle tasks in the fields of computer simulation and AI that were previously too large or even unsolvable using digital methods. "With our new pilot quantum computer, we are taking an important step into this revolutionary field, which will soon be followed by others," says Goethe University President Prof. Enrico Schleiff. "Baby Diamond will give us a first glimpse into a future in which great computational challenges, the likes of which we cannot even imagine today, will become possible." 

Ulrich Schielein, Goethe University Vice President and Chief Information Officer (CIO), adds: "It is likely that, in a few years' time, we will be able to address completely new types of problems not only from the worlds of finance, logistics in rail, air and road transport, medicine and biology, weather and climate research, but also in the fields of basic sciences, like physics and chemistry, or the training of basic models of artificial intelligence. We are looking forward to working together with researchers, companies and institutions here in the Rhine-Main region." 

The quantum computer uses a small synthetic diamond, commonly found in industrial applications, in which nitrogen atoms are embedded, each of which induces a defect that can in turn be used as a central qubit. Spins of atoms can be controlled as further qubits around this defect, making practical quantum computing possible. 

"Our entry-level system is based on the idea of a compact quantum computer that can be used at room temperature, doesn't require any special cryogenic cooling, can be set up in a small laboratory and is particularly energy-efficient," says Prof. Thomas Lippert, head of the modular supercomputing and quantum computing working group, established at Goethe University's Faculty of Computer Science and Mathematics in summer 2020. "As a university, by installing the quantum computer, we are consciously taking a stand against the current monopolization of large companies that hide their systems behind paywalls. It being a compact system, we can already train students today in a hands-on manner directly on the device – exactly what is needed to become fit for the future." 

The quantum computer is part of the so-called “Frankfurt Roadmap", which sets out to procure up to 16 high-quality qubits by 2025 and gradually increase this number in the future. The pilot system operated in collaboration with the NHR Alliance will help establish an infrastructure at Goethe University that will closely link quantum computing with high-performance computing. In this context, Goethe University was able to secure Forschungszentrum Jülich with its JUNIQ quantum computing infrastructure as a scientific partner –a global pioneer in modular hybrid quantum HPC computing. 

The system is being developed by XeedQ, which is based both in Leipzig and at the German Aerospace Center's innovation hub in Ulm. XeedQ is funded by the latter's Quantum Computing Initiative, with a view towards developing a scalable quantum computing technology. 

Quantum computing is often referred to as the second quantum revolution. Goethe University's quantum computer will be located on the historic Bockenheim Campus, where Stern and Gerlach's famous experiment, carried out more than 100 years ago, laid the foundation for today's quantum computing and served as an important part of the first quantum revolution. With its Baby Diamond, Goethe University is paving the way to bring new quantum revolutions back to Frankfurt. 

Further information
Prof. Thomas Lippert
Professor for Modular Supercomputing and Quantum Computing
Institute of Computer Science
Goethe University Frankfurt
E-Mail: t.lippert@em.uni-frankfurt.de

Editor: Dr. Dirk Frank, Press Officer / Deputy Head of PR and Communication, Goethe University Frankfurt, Theodor-W.-Adorno-Platz 1, 60323 Frankfurt am Main, Phone +49 (0)69 798–13753, frank@pvw.uni-frankfurt.de

Every two years, the Alfons und Gertrud Kassel-Stiftung awards the “Scientist of the Year" Award as well as the “Public Service Fellowship Prize" to researchers at Goethe University Frankfurt. In addition, each year the President of Goethe University also awards the “New Horizon Prize". For the first time, all three prizes were presented together at a public award ceremony held yesterday. And the winners are: microbiologist Inga Hänelt, law professor Indra Spiecker and educational scientist Lukas Gerhards. 

The three academics honored at Goethe University yesterday evening “conduct extraordinary scientific work, and, at the same time", in the words of University President Enrico Schleiff, "they let others share in the results of and profit from this science – in a manner that far exceeds the economic component of this term." In so doing, they stand for an essential feature of Goethe University, namely "that we do not keep the treasures of knowledge we have gathered to ourselves, but consciously share them: in the scientific world, and – as part of intelligently structured dialogs and using modern methods – with society." 

The Alfons und Gertrud Kassel-Stiftung's “Scientist of the Year" Award 2022 goes to microbiologist Prof. Inga Hänelt for her outstanding research and strong commitment to promoting young talent. The Heisenberg Professor, who works at Goethe University's Institute of Biochemistry, was honored for her contribution to understanding processes that enable bacteria to survive under various stress conditions; specifically, for her work on microbial potassium homeostasis, i.e. the processes by which bacteria adapt to salty environments, drought or extreme pH values by absorbing or releasing potassium. Hänelt's multi-award-winning work is highly regarded both nationally and internationally and has been published in the most prestigious scientific journals. As a result of her excellent accomplishments, the microbiologist is also a member of many research networks operated by the German Research Foundation. At Goethe University, she is one of the scientists in charge of the SCALE (SubCellular Architecture of LifE) cluster initiative. 

Inga Hänelt also received the “Scientist of the Year" Award, which is endowed with €25,000 and awarded every two years, for her excellent mentoring and support of young scientists. In their laudatory speech, the members of Hänelt's working group praised their mentor, whose commitment to the advancement of young scientists extends far beyond her own working group. 

This year's "Public Service Fellowship Prize", also awarded by the Alfons und Gertrud Kassel-Stiftung, went to Prof. Indra Spiecker genannt Döhmann. Spiecker has been teaching public law, information law, environmental law and administrative sciences at Goethe University Frankfurt since 2013. She heads the Data Protection Research Center and is scientific director of the Institute for European Health Policy and Social Law (ineges). She is the first lawyer ever to be a member of the National Academy of Science and Engineering (acatech). Among others, she also is a member of the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina's "Digitalization and Society" steering group. Indra Spiecker is a leading and internationally renowned legal expert, whose research focuses, among others, on the digital world's regulatory conditions and possibilities, and related power shifts. As part of this, she also analyzes decisions in situations of uncertainty or the relationship between trust and conflict, which stands at the center of the ConTrust cluster initiative. Spiecker is frequently consulted as an expert by many institutions, particularly on the legal aspects of digitalization, including for the German government's Third Gender Equality Report, by data protection authorities or the Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency. 

The "Public Service Fellowship Prize", endowed with €10,000, is awarded every two years by the Alfons und Gertrud Kassel-Stiftung to Goethe University researchers who play an active role in important scientific or science policy committees. The prize money is intended to enable projects that could not be continued due to the special commitment they require. Prof. Spiecker is the fourth person to be awarded the prize – following in the footsteps of educational scientist Sabine Andresen, financial scientist and former member of the German council of economic experts Prof. Volker Wieland, and medical scientist and long-standing chairman of the German government's Expert Council on Health Prof. Dr. Ferdinand Gerlach. The laudatory speech for Indra Spiecker genannt Döhmann was held by Hessian Minister of Justice Prof. Roman Poseck. 

The winner of the 2023 President's New Horizon Prize is inclusion researcher Lukas Gerhards. The prize, endowed with €5,000, supports young researchers at Goethe University who are breaking new ground in their research and thinking. Following his studies in special needs education, PhD student Lukas Gerhards has devoted himself to inclusion research. As part of his neurophilosophically-oriented doctorate, he is investigating, for example, what neurodiversity means, i.e. how different perceptions of the environment come about. As a research assistant in the team of inclusion researcher Prof. Dr. Vera Moser, Lukas Gerhards plays a leading role in the innovative research network "schAUT" (School & Autism), funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. Working together with autistic people, the project aims to identify barriers for autistic pupils in schools for the first time, and explore ways of overcoming them. What factors interfere with autistic pupils' learning? Initial findings show that autistic and non-autistic schoolchildren are disturbed by the same factors – including bright light and high noise levels – which means that everyone benefits from a reduction in these barriers. At the same time, the project also promotes knowledge transfer to society: it includes a barrier questionnaire, a handout on how to use the tool, as well as a training concept for schools and information material for the interested public. 

The New Horizon Prize was awarded for the first time in 2022 to business teacher Dr. Christin Siegfried. 

The Alfons und Gertrud Kassel-Stiftung was established in 2007 with the aim of promoting science, research and teaching at Goethe University. It is based on an endowment bequeathed by its founder, Gertrud Kassel. The foundation supports numerous university projects.

Editor: Pia Barth, Science Editor, PR & Communication Office, Theodor-W.-Adorno-Platz 1, 60323 Frankfurt, Tel. +49 (0)69 798-12481, Fax +49 (0)69 798-763-12531, p.barth@em.uni-frankfurt.de

Students wanting to apply for the Deutschlandstipendium must have good grades and display social commitment. Successful applicants receive €300 euros a month in financial support for their studies, for a maximum of two years. The award ceremony held at Goethe University Frankfurt on Wednesday brought together 600 students and sponsors. 

The principle that stands behind the Deutschlandstipendium is as simple as it is striking: every euro raised by universities each year is doubled by Germany's Federal Ministry of Education and Research. Goethe University Frankfurt raised €990,000 this year, bringing the total funding available to Deutschlandstipendium scholars to €1,980,000. This means that 550 students – about one third of whom have a migrant background – can receive €300 per month for a maximum of two years. For many among them, the funding means they have to spend less time financing their degrees, and can devote more time to their studies. 

At the social event held on November 28, 2023, many of the scholarship holders personally collected their awards – and some even met with their individual sponsor. All told, some 600 people gathered at the networking event. As part of his welcoming address, Goethe University President Enrico Schleiff extended a special thank-you to three of the 22 sponsors who have supported the program since its launch 13 years ago, pointing out that it is the commitment of local sponsors, among others, that makes the program such a success story. "This widespread acceptance among the population is illustrative of the support for meaningful work, also and especially among Frankfurt's civil society." 

Participants were treated to a performance by science slammer and archaeologist Frederic Auth, who won this year's "Antiquity Slam" in Berlin with his presentation of a surprising archaeological discovery by Goethe University scientists. 

Some 300 private sponsors and 50 non-profit organizations – who provide the bulk of the funding – donated towards a Deutschlandstipendium this year, slightly more than in previous years. In line with the general trend observed since the pandemic, the number of sponsoring companies has dropped slightly, to about 50. 

In addition to the monthly €300 stipend, the Deutschlandstipendium also comprises a non-material support program as well as a strong network and wide range of events. The "Young Leadership Program" gives scholarship holders the opportunity to develop both personally and professionally, including through individual advancement in project teams as well as study-related programs and offers, such as seminars, workshops, best-practice exchanges and networks. The scholars themselves are currently working to set up a Deutschlandstipendium alumni group at Goethe University, with the aim of staying in touch with each other and maintaining their own network even after their scholarship has ended. 

A total of 6,752 Deutschlandstipendium scholarships have been awarded since 2011, which corresponds to €12,153,600 in funding. In line with the federal government's matching principle, Goethe University students have so far benefited from around €25 million in funding for the Deutschlandstipendium. 

Images for download: https://www.uni-frankfurt.de/146364557 

Captions:
(Photo 1) Around 600 scholars and sponsors attended the get-together marking the launch of the Deutschlandstipendium to network with each other (Photo: Uwe Dettmar)
(Photo 2) Getting in touch, staying in touch: Many Deutschlandstipendium scholarship holders say they want to build up and maintain their own network (Photo: Uwe Dettmar) 

Further information
Marc Heinbücher
Advisor Deutschlandstipendium
Private University Funding
Tel.: +49 (0)69/798-12756
E-Mail: heinbuecher@em.uni-frankfurt.de
Homepage: https://www.uni-frankfurt.de/44947252/

Editor: Pia Barth, Science Editor, PR & Communication Office, Theodor-W.-Adorno-Platz 1, 60323 Frankfurt, Tel. +49 (0)69 798-12481, Fax +49 (0)69 798-763-12531, p.barth@em.uni-frankfurt.de

How does negation work in language? And how are the relevant linguistic structures connected to perception in the brain? These are the types of questions posed within the framework of Collaborative Research Center 1629 "Negation in language and beyond" (NegLaB) at Goethe University Frankfurt, funding for which the German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, DFG) approved on November 24, 2023. Meanwhile, another CRC from the field of biochemistry, which deals with selective autophagy – a natural process by means of which cells can specifically dispose of defective or superfluous components – is entering its third funding phase. Both projects will initially receive (further) funding for four years. The DFG most recently approved a total of four CRC applications from Hessian universities, three among them continuations. 

Prof. Bernhard Brüne, Vice President Research, Early Career Researchers and Transfer at Goethe University Frankfurt, congratulated the researchers involved in the successful application: "Anyone who establishes a major project like a Collaborative Research Center must have both creative and viable research ideas as well as a strong network. To discover new things about language and thinking, the new CRC 1629 not only makes use of Goethe University's structures, and the combination of philology with philosophy and didactics. It also cooperates with partner universities in Göttingen and Tübingen. Aside that, I am of course delighted that CRC 1177 on autophagy has been extended. It has been extraordinarily productive over the past few years and promises significant findings in the future that can take medicine a big step forward. Thanks to this Collaborative Research Center, Frankfurt has become a national network center for autophagy research over the past eight years." 

CRC 1629 – Negation in language and beyond
Negation is a fundamental and unique property of human language. It is firmly anchored in the grammatical system of all languages, albeit in different ways. Negation affects various areas of grammar as well as cognition as part of a complex system, which is reflected in the fact that although children produce negative utterances relatively early, it takes a much longer time to acquire all aspects of negation. Adults also find it more difficult to process negative sentences as compared to positive ones, supposedly due to the fact that the content of a positive sentence must first be elaborated before the meaning of its negation can be interpreted. CRC NegLaB sets out to explore how the expression of negation is cross-linguistically associated with grammatical and non-linguistic cognitive operations, something the researchers involved expect will lead to a better understanding of the connections between linguistic competence and general cognition. Individual projects address topics like the influences of negation on behavior, memory and attitude, the role of non-linguistic cognitive abilities in children's negation processing, and the syntactic and morphological interactions of negation in a number of languages, ranging from Germanic and Romance to Bantu and Mabia. Several institutions at Goethe University Frankfurt are involved in the new CRC, including the Institutes of English and American Studies, Linguistics, Philosophy, Psycholinguistics and Didactics of the German Language, Romance Languages and Literatures, as well as the Faculty of Computer Science and Mathematics. Partners are the University of Göttingen's Seminar of English Philology and the University of Tübingen's Department of Psychology. A special feature of the project is its integrated research training group, where young academics will receive training for the academic and non-academic job market. CRC spokesperson is Prof. Dr. Cecilia Poletto. NegLaB will receive total funding of around €9.3 million for three years and nine months. Added to this is a 22 percent total lump sum for indirect costs incurred from the projects. 

CRC 1177 – Molecular and Functional Characterization of Selective Autophagy
The CRC on selective autophagy was established in 2016. Led by Goethe University Frankfurt, it is now being extended for the second time. In addition to Goethe University, the universities of Mainz, Tübingen, Freiburg, Munich and Heidelberg, the Max Planck Institute of Biophysics and the Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine are involved in this third funding period. Selective autophagy is part of the cellular waste disposal system, by means of which defective or otherwise harmful cellular components are degraded and disposed of. It plays a central role in maintaining cellular homeostasis and fulfills important functions related to aging and development. If this system does not function properly, this has an impact on the onset and progression of many diseases such as cancer, neurodegeneration and infections. The research consortium is investigating autophagy at a molecular and cellular level to discover how dysfunctions could be counteracted in the future. The consortium's success is driven by the use of state-of-the-art technologies that have been consequently expanded and refined. The third funding period will focus on the role of autophagy in neurodegenerative diseases, immune defense and inflammation. Other areas of interest include processes such as membrane remodeling and the dynamic turnover of cell organelles. The promotion of early career scientists is of major importance to the consortium, and a research training group was established for this purpose in the first funding period, such that the then still young field of autophagy research could continue to grow. CRC 1177 spokesperson is Prof. Dr. Ivan Đikić. The center will receive total funding of around €13.5 million, including indirect costs. 

Further information

Prof. Dr. Cecilia Poletto
Spokesperson for CRC 1629 Negation in language and beyond
Institute for Romance Languages
Goethe University Frankfurt
Tel. +49 (0)69 798-32056
E-Mail Poletto@em.uni-frankfurt.de
Homepage: http://www2.uni-frankfurt.de/44033754/Poletto 

Prof. Dr. Ivan Đikić
Spokesperson for CRC 1177 Molecular and Functional Characterization of Selective Autophagy
Institute of Biochemistry II, University Hospital Frankfurt
Goethe University Frankfurt
Tel. +49 (0)69 6301-5964
E-Mail dikic@biochem2.uni-frankfurt.de

Editor: Dr. Anke Sauter, Science Editor, PR & Communication Office, Tel: +49 (0)69 798-13066, Fax: +49 (0) 69 798-763 12531, sauter@pvw.uni-frankfurt.de