On the 9th of December 2004 the new university library of the University of the Arts (UdK) and the Polytechnical University (TU) opened its gates in Berlin. The Volkswagen Corporation contributes to the financing of the building (with overall construction costs of 55 Million €) with 5 million € and jumps into the financial gap that has been left by the bankruptcy of the state of Berlin. Since its opening the new library building is branded by Volkswagen and inscribes its corporate identity in the daily language of more then 30000 students of the UdK and TU, even though, officially the library is called "University library of TU and UdK in the Volkswagen building".

Investment is now called sponsoring.
The public-private-partnership between the German State, the two universities and the Volkswagen corporation is about much more then a sponsorship: For less then 10 percent of the actual building costs Volkswagen is not only sponsor of the building but an equal user of the libraries resources. The appraisals of Volkswagen engagement in education didn't mention that Volkswagen is interested in more than a good image. In February 2006 Volkswagen opens its own private university, the "Volkswagen AutoUni" (car university), on the MobileLifeCampus in Wolfsburg, the location of the Volkswagen headquarters. Students at this "new type of institution" have the same status in the new university library as the students at the TU and UdK. The employees of the university consult the Volkswagen AutoUni with the set-up of an own library.

To protest against this subvention of private interests through public funds MeineAkademie (My Academy) organised its own celebration of the one year anniversary of the new library. We set-up a little stand where we handed out sparkling wine, a zine commentating and explaining the relationship between Volkswagen and the universities, buttons and a questionnaire on the deal.

photoalbum of the protest