Logo Universität Bayreuth
Students sit on the steps of the Bayreuth Canal downtown.

Bayreuther Stadtgespräche: City Talks

Bayreuther Stadtgespräche (Bayreuth City Talks) have been taking place regularly at Iwalewahaus since July 2014. On the first Wednesday of each month from 6 to about 7.30 p.m., changing speakers offer insights into exciting and current topics. The lectures are open to all interested parties without registration – admission is free.

The basic idea of Bayreuther Stadtgespräche is to strengthen the connection between the City and the University. That is why the series of events is aimed at all Bayreuth citizens.

The venue is the Iwalewahaus (Wölfelstraße) in the heart of Bayreuth – right next to the Margravial Opera House. The speakers come from the University of Bayreuth, other universities or research institutes, or from (university) politics. (Higher education) policy issues are taken up and questions are discussed that are currently of concern to academia or citizens. This is done in an understandable way for people who are not familiar with the subject, and for non-academics.

The lectures are organised by the University of Bayreuth together with Universitätsverein Bayreuth e. V. and with the support of Universitäts-Forum Bayreuth – Kollegium Bayreuther Univ.-Professoren i. R.

Bayreuth City Talks: Upcoming events

04. June 2025, 6 p.m.: Oasis economy between tradition and modernity: Gardens in the Central Sahara

Speaker: Dr. habil. Tilman Musch, Ethnology, University of Bayreuth

In Tibesti (Republic of Chad), a remote mountainous region of the central Sahara, anthropologist Dr. habil. Tilman Musch (University of Bayreuth) is building sustainable Sahara gardens together with the local population. The project, which is funded by the Gerda Henkel Foundation and has already been vividly documented in “National Geographic”, aims to improve local food security and generate income. The gardens are based on traditional knowledge and sustainable technology, such as solar-powered water pumping. No pesticides, artificial fertilizers or hybrid seeds are used. Instead of universal solutions, the focus is on adapting the project design to local conditions with the participation of the local population. Dr. Musch presents the results of his work to date.  

Further information: https://buel.bmel.de/index.php/buel/article/view/475

02. July 2025, 6 p.m.: “What you always wanted to know about the 50+1 rule in soccer - savior or brake for German Bundesliga soccer?”

Speaker: Prof. Dr. Peter W. Heermann LL.M. (Univ. of Wisc.), Chair of Civil Law, Commercial and Business Law, Comparative Law and Sports Law, University of Bayreuth)

Anyone who follows German Bundesliga soccer with interest will also be familiar with the 50+1 rule. Every match day, posters in the fans' stands proclaim that the 50+1 rule must be preserved, that it is untouchable, and so on. It is an association regulation that is obviously not only capable of triggering highly emotional reactions, but also - largely unnoticed by the soccer public - raises extremely exciting legal questions.
But what does the 50+1 rule actually mean in detail? How does it work in practice? What objectives are being pursued or should be pursued with the 50+1 rule? To what extent can the influence of investors in German professional soccer be effectively limited by the 50+1 rule? To what extent can the members of a Bundesliga club actually influence the management of the professional division instead? Why has the legality of the 50+1 rule been in doubt for many years? Why has the Bundeskartellamt been dealing with the 50+1 rule for seven years now? And what will happen next with the 50+1 rule?

In this town talk, the actual and legal perspectives of German Bundesliga soccer at national and international level will be explained on the basis of the aforementioned questions in order to contribute to a more objective discussion of the mostly emotional debate on the advantages and disadvantages of the 50+1 rule.

The future of Bundesliga soccer is at stake - join the discussion! You can do this without any prior legal knowledge ;-).

In August and September, the “Bayreuther Stadtgespräche” will be taking a short summer break.  We look forward to welcoming you back to the Iwalewahaus on Wednesday, October 1, 2025. If you would like to stay in direct contact with representatives of the University of Bayreuth on exciting topics in the meantime, we would be delighted if you would also take advantage of our offers in the Neuseum.

Past highlights of the event series (partly in German language)

For further information, please contact

Angela Danner

Angela Danner

Head of Press, Marketing & Communications Office at the University of Bayreuth

Phone: +49 (0)921 / 55-5323
E-mail: angela.danner@uni-bayreuth.de