Ukrainian Free University event celebrates its founding in 1921 (02/09/03)

Ukrainian Free University event celebrates its founding in 1921

by Ivan Myhul

MUNICH - On January 17, the Ukrainian Free University (UFU) of Munich, Germany, held its Dies Academicus, an annual event that commemorates the founding of UFU on the same date in 1921. The festivities took place in the cultural complex adjacent to the Ukrainian Catholic church.

According to Dr. Bohdan Osadchuk, one of the most senior members of the UFU academic staff, this year's commemoration "was the best in living memory." Over 250 persons attended the 82nd anniversary of the establishment of the Ukrainian Free University. There were dignitaries from the diplomatic corps of Ukraine, Poland and the Czech Republic. German politicians and businessmen mingled with German, Ukrainian, American and Canadian academics and UFU graduate students. The Dies Academicus was honored by the presence of the rector of the Munich Philosophical College, Dr. Norbert Brieskorn, S.J., and Prof. Walter Schubol, the prorector of Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich.

In his opening speech the UFU's rector, Dr. Leonid Rudnytzky, gave a vivid account of recent accomplishments of the university. He mentioned the ongoing cooperation of the Ukrainian Free University with various research institutes and institutions of higher learning in the United States, Canada, Germany, and Ukraine. Dr. Rudnytzky also underscored the UFU's role as a publisher of academic works.

A groundbreaking work is the recently published Myslyteli Nimetskoho Romantyzmu, which was co-edited by Prof. Oleh Fashowetz of the UFU faculty of philosophy. The richly illustrated and well-annotated anthology contains the works of 30 major German Romantic political and literary thinkers and philosophers, among them Schiller, Kant, Hegel and Goethe. This Ukrainian-language anthology is preceded by an insightful introduction by the university rector. The UFU has also just published an extremely important and large volume of the complete collected works of the eminent Ukrainian literary scholar, Dr. Ihor Kaczurowsky.

Olha Oshchudliak-Meinzer spoke in the name of the university student body, offering a discerning view of the role of UFU in the system of higher learning from the perspective of students from Ukraine, who now make up the vast majority of M.A. and Ph.D. candidates at the university.

The highlight of this year's Dies Academicus was the presentation of the prestigious university medal "Pro Universitate Libera Ucrainensis." This highly prized award is usually offered to a scholar of an exceptionally high calibre. Dr. Hans Rothe, a professor emeritus at Bonn University, was honored for his outstanding lifelong work in the realm of Slavic, and more specifically, Ukrainian studies. Prof. Ulrich Schweier, director of Slavic studies at Ludwig Maximilian University gave the "laudatio."

In his acceptance speech the distinguished academic offered an exceptionally succinct presentation of the origins of both Ukrainian and Russian literatures. The crux of his well-documented thesis is that Ukrainian literature predates its Russian counterpart. Dr. Rothe bemoaned the erroneous ideas on the subject that prevail in the West. He also offered solutions as how to amend this persistent mistake.

The honorant also addressed the issue of UFU itself. He dismissed as shortsighted, if not faulty, the idea that with Ukrainian independence, the Ukrainian Free University had lost its raison d'être. The esteemed scholar stressed various factors which are in favor of further development of UFU as an institution that is a repository in the West of academic freedom in the realm of Ukrainian studies and related subjects.

He mentioned, among other things, the possible negative spin-off on the academia in Ukraine of the lack of normalized Russo-Ukrainian relations and the tenuous and precarious socio-economic and political situation in Ukraine. In today's uncertain world, the speaker said, the continued existence of the Ukrainian Free University "is a must."

Dr. Egon Greipl, the director of the Bavarian State Office for the Preservation of Monuments, gave the keynote speech titled "Monuments as Symbols of National Identity." The speaker insisted that public monuments are tangible symbols of nationhood and thereby help to assure collective and individual national identities. Given the importance of these symbols of national belonging, the Free State of Bavaria in conjunction with UFU has offered specialized courses for young Ukrainian professionals in the art of the restoration and preservation of public monuments. The hope is that these art historians and architects will be able to apply back home in Ukraine their newly gained know-how. Dr. Greipl promised to extend this program for another year, despite the severe budgetary constraints in Germany.

The Ukrainian Free University intends to publish the proceedings of this year's celebration of the anniversary of founding in the original German; the publication will also carry a Ukrainian translation of the papers.

The artistic part of Dies Academicus featured Iryna Surzhenk an accomplished Ukrainian pianist who masterfully played the works of both noted Western and Ukrainian composers. This year's commemorative occasion concluded with the singing of the traditional student hymn, "Gaudeamus Igitur," and was followed by a reception.

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