On December 6, the celebratory event for "25 years of the Department of Social Work/Faculty of Social Sciences" took place.

In 25 years, the faculty has grown and expanded from the Social Work degree program to include five additional degree programs, three of which are Bachelor's programs and two Master's programs. The range of courses now includes the Bachelor's degree courses in Social Work, Childhood Education, Inclusion Studies, Communication Psychology, the Master's degree course in Management of Social Change and the Master's degree course in Social Gerontology.

With its holistic educational model, the faculty is well positioned for the future, with a high level of practical relevance forming the basis for teaching and research.

The celebratory program included greetings and a speech in the lecture hall of the Hermann-Heitkamp-Haus, a musical reception in the auditorium and a gastronomic finale in the old town of Görlitz.

Greetings were delivered by Prof. Dr. phil. Friedrich Albrecht, Rector of the University, Dr. Petra Zimmermann, Head of the Youth, Schools and Sport, Social Affairs Department of the City of Görlitz and Prof. Dr. oec. habil. Gisela Thiele, Dean of the Faculty from 2009-2015. The event was moderated by the Dean, Prof. Dr. Andreas Hoff.

The keynote speech was given by Prof. Dr. phil. Joachim Schulze. In it, he vividly addressed the roots of the Faculty and the necessity of social science teaching and research. In his lecture, he evoked memories of the founding period in the "Hagspihl" villa at Goethestraße 5 and the times of the "Bauhütte" during the construction of the current faculty building.

The reception in the auditorium was festively framed on the piano by the young musician Latschesar Neykov. A faculty quiz and older film footage from teaching and University marketing provided excitement, fun and a few smiles.

The celebration ended with a cozy get-together in a historic restaurant in Görlitz's old town.

Text: Steffen Zücker