Friends' association

This year’s opening ceremonial to the semester will take place on October 9, 2026.
We will welcome the new cohorts to the MA War and Conflict Studies and MA International War Studies programs.

We will also bid farewell to students who are either embarking on the second leg of their studies—a semester in Dublin—or who have completed their degrees. Furthermore, this year we are able to award several scholarships, made possible primarily by the Military History Chair’s Friends Association. The presentation of the Best Student Award, which recognizes students’ outstanding achievements, is also possible again thanks to the Friends Association.

After the official portion of the event, we’ll wrap things up in a relaxed atmosphere on the beautiful historic terrace of the university building, overlooking the Neues Palais. Over drinks and snacks, new students will have the opportunity to chat with one another and make initial connections, including with graduates from previous years and other invited guests.

You can find the flyer with the program for the start of the semester here.
Please register in advance.

We would like to extend our special thanks to the Military History Support Association, whose support made our participation in this educational trip possible.

From April 7 to 12, two students from the Chair of Military History participated in an educational trip to Estonia organized by the Potsdam university group of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation.  

The program began with a visit to the residence of the German ambassador, where German-Estonian relations were the focus of discussion. At the Estonian Parliament (Riigikogu), we discussed domestic and foreign policy challenges with former Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu. Further discussions at the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence and at the Estonian Ministries of Defense and Foreign Affairs highlighted the close interconnection of the military, political, and technological dimensions of Estonian security policy.

A visit to the Baltic Defence College in Tartu provided insights into military debates and joint training approaches aimed at preparing both the Baltic states and their allies for local operational conditions in the event of a defense scenario. The excursion to Narva on the Estonian-Russian border highlighted how strongly the country is shaped by the culture of remembrance surrounding World War II. 

Overall, the trip vividly demonstrated how Estonia remains capable of acting despite the constant Russian threat, thanks to clear interministerial coordination, societal resilience, and close international cooperation. Particularly impressive was the high level of willingness among Estonian civil society to take the initiative and assume responsibility for its own security and the defense of the alliance. At the same time, the appeal to German policymakers made it unmistakably clear in many discussions that Estonia’s security is inextricably linked to the support of its alliance partners. The trip underscored that the Russian threat must be understood as a pan-European challenge.

This year's ceremonial start of the semester took place on 10 October 2025. The new cohorts in the MA War and Conflict Studies and MA International War Studies programmes were welcomed.
The students from the 2023/24 cohort were bid farewell. As every year, the International War Studies class of 2024/25 joined in the tradition of embarking on the second trip of their studies, the academic year in Dublin.
Last year's graduates were also honoured. The graduates were delighted to receive their certificates, an honour they richly deserved after working hard on successful Master's theses in various subject areas.

This year, graduates Paul Behne and Raphael Nicolai from the MA War Studies programme received a special honour with the Best Prize, which is awarded each year to recognise the outstanding achievements of students. The Best Prize includes an honorary ring and prize money of €500, both of which are donated by the Friends of the Chair of Military History. 
It is also thanks to the generosity of the Friends' Association that two students from the International War and Conflict Studies cohort were each awarded €9,000 this year.
This scholarship is intended to help finance the second year of study in Dublin. Anton Fuchs and Moritz Hohmann received this special honour this time, which will hopefully give them a good start in Dublin. We look forward to seeing them graduate next year.

After the award ceremony, the event came to a close in a relaxed atmosphere on the beautiful historic terrace of the university building overlooking the New Palace. Over a glass of wine or apple spritzer, the new students had the opportunity to talk to each other and make their first contacts. Of course, the exchange with graduates from previous years and other invited guests is also particularly valuable for the new cohort.

This year's semester kick-off was thus a successful start to the new winter semester 25/26.

You can find Paul Behne's Bestprize speech here.