The Berlin Senate Department for Science has withdrawn the disciplinary order previously issued against Geraldine Rauch, the former president of the Technical University of Berlin. The decision to withdraw was made after the supervisory chamber of the Administrative Court indicated during a hearing on Friday that the original order was not legally valid.
The disciplinary action stemmed from a post Rauch made in May 2024 on her private X/Twitter account. The post stated, “Thousands of Turkish citizens are currently taking to the streets to demand a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and condemn the operation in Rafah” and included images of Turkish demonstrations. One photograph showed Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in an outfit with red markings that appeared to be blood traces, along with two cross symbols, though Rauch stated she had not noticed the crosses.
Following this post, the governing mayor had previously called for Rauch’s resignation or censure. This led to a disciplinary order in August which imposed a four-figure fine. The court’s current ruling invalidates this penalty. According to the judges, there was no link between the post and her official professional duties. Furthermore, the simple act of liking the post did not constitute a disciplinary offense.
Since the beginning of the year, Rauch has stepped down as president of the Technical University of Berlin. She currently serves as the head of the Institute for Biometry and Clinical Epidemiology at Charité.
