"75 years of social work in Dortmund" sounds like a steady progression from 1948 to the present day. At the ceremony, it became clear that the history of the faculty has been many things, but certainly not straightforward and calm.
No wonder: social work in Dortmund was a counter-project from the very beginning. An idealistic rebellion, initially against the aftermath of the Second World War, class hatred and all forms of warmongering. Later against paternalistic structures, which always affected social work itself.
After 75 years of critical and consistent self-reflection and social reflection, the people of the faculty were able to celebrate and appreciate their faculty in its current appearance on October 18, 2023 in the Dietrich-Keuning-Haus in Dortmund's Nordstadt district.
Joint solutions
"The Applied Social Sciences at Fachhochschule Dortmund," said Rector Prof. Dr. Tamara Appel on the occasion of the anniversary, "are not only a scientifically and socially relevant teaching and research engine. Thanks to their intrinsic interdisciplinarity, they are also an important force in our university's efforts to jointly develop the best solutions for the future.
Their perspective is consistently oriented towards people and the values of a dignified life for all. This makes the faculty an indispensable part of the moral and ethical DNA of the entire university."
Political dimension
In her speech, Dean Prof. Dr. Katja Nowacki emphasized that "in addition to providing direct help to the disadvantaged and particularly vulnerable groups, social work also has a political dimension and is an important human rights profession. As a faculty, we are proud to be a training institution for people who work in and for social work."
The festive evening was opened by the actors of the Emscherblut improv theater. The words of welcome and greetings alternated with a film by the faculty and an on-stage discussion with graduates.
In her welcoming address, Birgit Zoerner highlighted the faculty's fruitful cooperation with the City of Dortmund and the social work providers. Dortmund's Head of the Department of Labor, Health, Social Affairs, Sport and Leisure referred to the dual Bachelor's degree program "Social Work with a Focus on Migration and Integration" as a particularly successful example of this - it was not without reason that this study program was the reason for the state government of North Rhine-Westphalia to award Dortmund the title of "European Active Community".
Dungaree memories
Uta Schütte-Haermeyer, Managing Director of Diakonisches Werk Dortmund und Lünen, recalled her own studies in the 1980s in her welcoming address. From her time at the Heroldwiese between Nordmarkt and Borsigplatz, her image of the faculty was shaped above all by young men with beards, dungarees, jute bags and a penchant for rhetoric.
As spokesperson for the working group of independent welfare organizations in Dortmund, she addressed the challenges of the shortage of skilled workers and emphasized the importance of the existing close cooperation between the university and the social work employment agencies.
75 years on 19 charts
With all these warm words in their ears and hearts, the guests then made their way to the champagne reception and through an exhibition curated especially for the occasion: 19 wall-high charts recount past events, anecdotes, show pictures and quotes and convey this critical faculty's view of its own history.
"I would like to congratulate the Faculty of Applied Social Studies," concluded Rector Tamara Appel, "and I would like to thank all the people who have accompanied and shaped it over these 75 years. I know it is in the best hands for the coming years and wish everyone involved every success in their work and, in the spirit of the faculty, in all other areas of their lives."
