Weather chaos stops graduation celebration at the University of Potsdam!

Weather chaos stops graduation celebration at the University of Potsdam!

The University of Potsdam's graduation ceremony took place on June 28, 2025. But the weather didn't hold up well to the celebrations: heavy rain interrupted the event and the celebration had to be stopped after just 30 minutes. The large screens on the site reported the interruption and ensured that around 625 graduates and relatives had to quickly get out of their seats to safety. Fortunately, according to the university's press office, there were no injuries.

At the beginning of the celebration, the weather was still friendly, but the storm quickly threatened and President Oliver Günther decided to shorten his speech. In this, he emphasized, among other things, the construction of a fourth campus on the Brauhausberg in Potsdam, which will be financed by Hasso Plattner and his foundation.

An evening of honors

Although the celebration ended abruptly, the group photo of the graduates and the graduation party still took place. Actor and author Matthias Brandt, son of former Chancellor Willy Brandt, gave the speech and was greeted with applause. The best of the year in the faculties were also honored. Julia Sophie Messner was awarded the graduate prize for her excellent final thesis in her master's program in nutritional science. Dr. Berenike Blaser received the prize for an outstanding dissertation, while Anastasiia Alekseeva from Russia received the DAAD Prize for her outstanding achievements.

These capricious weather events are not only a nuisance for celebrations, but also a sign of the increasing extreme weather events that are becoming more and more evident in Germany. Climate change also impacts universities. The HIS-HE project on climate impact adaptation shows the challenges that universities face. In particular, the requirements for building construction and campus design must be reconsidered HIS-HE reported.

Extreme weather as the new normal

Extreme weather events such as heat waves and heavy rain are becoming increasingly common, according to the German Weather Service. An attribution study has shown that climate change influences the probability of such heavy rain events. The increase in extremely high temperatures in Germany has equally serious consequences. These are reflected in the increasing tendency towards hot days and a decrease in severe frosts, as shown in a report by German Weather Service emerges.

The University of Potsdam and all educational institutions should prepare for these changes. Climate change as a long-term challenge is not an issue that can be ignored. With a new guideline for adapting to these circumstances, an important step in the right direction could be taken to better protect future events and campus life as a whole.