Excellence Regained

In 2012, Red Baron wrote a blog post titled Excellence Lost, vandalizing the title of Milton's well-known poem and referring to Freiburg University's loss of its status of excellence that year.

In his first poem, Milton addresses the fall of Adam and Eve. The poet's second, shorter poem frames the recovery of what Adam lost.

Accordingly, Red Baron frames how the University of Freiburg regained its status as a University of Excellence on October 2:

Already in 2019, the Alberto-Ludoviciana tried to regain its status of excellence but failed.

The bid succeeded this year because of a convincing combination of outstanding research, a coherent long-term strategy, and the university's ability to show how its research could benefit society.

Freiburg met the fundamental requirement of two research clusters:

1. CIBSS - Center for Integrative Biological Signaling Studies

2. Future Forests - Adapting Complex Social-Ecological Forest Systems to Global Change

In 2025, Red Baron attended a presentation on how forests can adapt to climate change while preserving their ecosystems and the services they provide. Urban environments in particular benefit from trees that resist the effects of climate change.

The second decisive element was the new vision University Rector Kerstin Krieglstein presented:

"The Future Research University: Sparking Change That Matters."

Under its long-term development program, the University of Freiburg will:

- foster interdisciplinary research: bringing different scientific disciplines together rather than
  allowing them to work in isolation.

- prepare students with excellent teaching to think critically and help shape the future.

- transfer knowledge by translating scientific discoveries into practical benefits
  for society, industry and politics.

Freiburg submitted its application in November 2025, and an international panel of experts visited the university in June 2026. The evaluators examined both the quality of its research and the coherence of its overall development strategy. 

The long-awaited message of relief came on October 2:

The audience explodes, Lord Mayor Martin Horn (in the middle) applauds Rector Krieglstein
while former Rector Hans-Jochen Schiewer (holding the banner) still looks on in disbelief
©Maximo-Hans Musielik/BZ

Out of eleven applications from individual universities and university consortia, only five were selected for new and additional funding of €10–15 million per year.

Kerstin swirls her champagne glass (©Maximo-Hans Musielik/BZ)

The international panel of experts did not simply rank individual research results; Freiburg's application rather showed how scientific excellence, interdisciplinary collaboration, and practical impact reinforce one another.

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