We’re staying queer – We’re staying here – For a new rainbow bench at BTU!

Students at BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg are standing together in solidarity!

On 27 June 2025, the Culture and Campus Festival took place on the BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg campus. A new rainbow bench was unveiled to replace the old one, which had been vandalised with graffiti, destroyed and stolen from the grounds. In addition, a ‘No Place for Racism’ bench now stands in front of the library building.

In the run-up to the event, students and lecturers from the Social Work programme took part in a flower-planting initiative to commemorate the destroyed rainbow bench. Discussions also took place on how the bench could be replaced. A plaque and a link to a podcast still serve as a reminder of the replaced rainbow bench today.

At the Kulturcampus, the President of BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg, Ms Gesine Grande, Susanne Dyhr from the Monitoring Centre against Right-wing Extremism, volunteers from CSD Cottbus e.V. and Social Work students drew attention to the increasing violence against queer people. A photo campaign followed. Some students spent the night on campus and held a night watch for the rainbow bench.

Should the bench be destroyed again, a new one will be placed in the same spot as a replacement.

Many thanks to everyone who took part in the campaign and who stands up for the rights of queer people every day.