Press releases of Europa-Universität Flensburg (EUF)

Prof. Dr. Christiane Hipp, EUF president, welcomes the guests

"By awarding Anke Spoorendonk an honorary doctorate, we are honoring an outstanding individual who has championed the causes of minorities on both sides of the German–Danish border with tireless dedication and great passion. Anke Spoorendonk embodies in a special way what our university stands for: active European understanding, social responsibility, and a vibrant exchange between academia and society. It is precisely this exchange that is a central component of our university's mission statement," said Prof. Dr. Christiane Hipp with pleasure on the occasion of the conferral of the honorary doctorate.

Prof. Dr. Karsten Mackensen, Dean of Faculty II, conferred the honorary doctorate

"As part of her work in state politics, Anke Spoorendonk tirelessly and successfully advocated for indigenous minorities, which also indirectly led to the EUF establishing clearly articulated priorities in this area—as evidenced, for example, by the creation of a professorship for Frisian and minority research and the expansion of teacher training in Danish," explains Prof. Dr. Karsten Mackensen, Dean of Faculty II at EUF.

In the past, Anke Spoorendonk was a strong advocate for joint German–Danish remembrance efforts in the border region, and as a historian made an outstanding contribution to preserving the memory of the Harrislee border train station.

Anke Spoorendonk receives an honorary doctorate from Faculty II

Faculty II of Europa-Universität is now awarding Anke Spoorendonk an honorary doctorate in recognition of her deep social commitment to German–Danish cooperation and, with her clear European focus, to the protection of minorities.

"Universities are of vital importance to minorities. For minorities without a mother country, such as the Frisians, this is the only way to ensure the professionally qualified transmission of the language to younger generations. For a border region like ours, knowledge of the neighboring language is indispensable if peaceful coexistence, cultural community, and economic growth are to be secured. Here, too, EUF has done pioneering work with its cross-border degree programs. It fills me with joy that the university is honoring me in this way today," explains Anke Spoorendonk.