Germany: Bauhaus University Weimar votes out Chancellor Horst Henrici

The Bauhaus University Weimar in Germany has voted out its Chancellor, Horst Henrici, during a vote of no confidence by the university assembly and representatives of the professors.

The President, Peter Benz, survived the election, held on 22/06/2026.

While Henrici's term must end immediately, he will remain in a 'removal from office' situation, meaning he will neither be an active nor a dismissed nor a retired official, but still be paid according to German law.

He will continue to receive his full salary until September, and then he will receive around 72% until the end of his actual term of office. But a team will handle the Chancellor's duties during that time, with Peter Benz as part of it.

The German media MDR reported that students had campaigned in favour of Benz before the vote, but election results show that he lacks the support of his colleagues.

He will now have to get to grips with the university's financial troubles and have to regain the trust of his colleagues as the institution is going through a consolidation phase where budgets have been tightened. Expiring contracts have not renewed, vacancies have not been filled, funding for projects has been stopped, investments have been postponed where possible and business trips have been refused.

According to German media MDR, the Bauhaus University Weimar is not the only one in the region to face these difficulties: institutions in Thuringia, eastern Germany are struggling with rising personnel and operating costs, inflation and declining student numbers.

Discussions are underway across the state regarding stronger cooperation and structural reforms to identify in which areas universities can collaborate more closely and complement each other in the future.