The Presidium of the Forschungsverbund Berlin e. V. has decided to discontinue the activities of the FVB's central account (@FVB_adlershof) on the social network X (formally known as Twitter). The current political situation surrounding the platform is not compatible with the values of the Forschungsverbund, which is committed to the freedom of science, democracy and an open-minded society.
In recent days and weeks, numerous research institutions throughout Germany have publicly announced their withdrawal from the social network. The Leibniz Association also decided to discontinue its activities on X, according to a press release dated January 14, 2025. Leibniz President Prof. Dr. Martina Brockmeier points out: “As a research organization, the Leibniz Association stands for democratic values, in particular freedom of science, science-based, transparent information and international cooperation. X has developed into a platform that no longer honors any of those values and that promotes the spreading of disinformation and hostility towards democracy and human rights. This is why staying on the platform X is no longer compatible with our values.”*
The Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB), the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW) and the Paul-Drude-Institut für Festkörperelektronik (PDI), which are part of the Forschungsverbund, have also decided to stop posting on their accounts as a result of recent developments.
The Forschungsverbund will continue to closely monitor developments related to Plattform X and other social networks and critically review its activities as the situation requires. The FVB is currently active on LinkedIn.
* The quote from Prof. Dr. Martina Brockmeier was translated by the FVB's corporate communications officer.
