Am 11. September wurden an der Ostküste der USA tausende Menschen Opfer eines terroristischen Massenmordes. Die Vereinigten Staaten und mit ihnen die gesamte Welt sind Zeugen unglaublicher Grausamkeit und unvorstellbarer Menschenverachtung geworden. Wie überall in der Welt zeigten auch in Deutschland viele Menschen und Institutionen ihre Betroffenheit und Solidarität mit den Opfern, ihren Angehörigen und dem gesamten amerikanischen Volk. Die Freie Universität ist den Vereinigten Staaten auf besondere Weise verbunden. Sie verdankt ihre Existenz zu einem guten Teil diesem Land, dem amerikanischen Volk und den Werten, gegen die sich die Anschläge richteten. In einer ersten Reaktion drückte FU-Präsident Prof. Dr. Peter Gaehtgens das Mitgefühl und die Solidarität der Freien Universität mit ihren amerikanischen Partneruniversitäten in einem Brief aus, den wir nachfolgend mit den Antworten wiedergeben.

Stanford University, Palo Alto

Dear President Gaehtgens:

Thank you for your email in which you expressed your horror over the events of September 11. As terrible as those events were, I go forward in the hope that our students – at Stanford, at Freie Universität Berlin, at every university across the world – will meet the challenge of building a world in which such inhuman acts can never again occur. They are our best hope for the future and peace of our world. Thank you for taking the time to write. It is a difficult time, and your words of support are much appreciated.

Sincerely,
John L. Hennessy
President

Vanderbilt University, Nashville

Dear President Gaehtgens,

We are indeed grateful for your statement of support and sympathy, which I will share immediately with Chancellor Gee. At a time when the very nature of democracy and free inquiry is under attack, the solidarity of the scholarly community will be a powerful defense. Many thanks. Sincerely,

Michael J. Schoenfeld
Vice Chancellor for Public Affairs, Vanderbilt University

Emory University, Atlanta

Dear President Gaehtgens:

Thank you very much for your thoughtful message. On behalf of our faculty and students, I am grateful to you for your expression of sympathy and understanding. Many of our students have parents and relatives in New York and Washington and we have yet to know of their fate. We are stricken but we are resolved that we will find understanding and peace.
Your message will help us.

William M. Chace
President, Emory University

New York University

Dear Peter,

Both President Oliva and I are truly touched by your noble sentiments. As you well know, this is a strong country and we are a distinguished university. Neither one will buckle under cowardly terrorist attacks. We are already well on the road to recovery. Your kind words of sympathy are very much appreciated by our community. Warm regards,

Farhad
Bobst Library, New York University

Ohio State University, Columbus

Dear President Gaehtgens:

Thank you very much for your kind and appeasing words during this tragic and difficult time that America is going through right now. Yes, this is a very difficult moment in our history, bu we are equally humbled and deeply touched by the immense outpouring of support from our friends worldwide like you, and we will heal from this together. Thank you for taking the time to express such thoughtful words of comfort. They are greatly appreciated. Sincerely yours,

William E. Kirwan
President

University of California, Berkeley

Dear President Gaehtgens:

I am grateful for your fax message of September 12. Your thoughtfulness in writing at this tragic time in America’s history is greatly appreciated. Please accept my heartfelt thanks.
Sincerely,

Richard C. Atkinson
President

Yale University, New Haven

Dear Dr. Gaehtgens:

It is with profound gratitude that I received your condolence message of 13 September. These words of support from friends in the academic community have given us great comfort as we struggle to make sense of the horrific events of this week. As we continue to take steps here to help members of the Yale community cope with our recent national disaster, we also know that we need to move on with the business of the University. Your expression of sympathy will go far to assisting us as we move forward.

Sincerely yours,
Richard C. Levin

Princeton University, Princeton

Dear President Gaehtgens:

My colleagues and I were greatly moved by the expression of sympathy and concern you sent last Wednesday on the behalf of the Freie Universität Berlin. It meant a great deal to us here at Princeton to know that you were thinking of us and that you took the time to send a message of support. Regrettably, a number of our graduates and neighbors in the community were among those who lost their lives on September 11. We recognize, however, that citizens from many nations were represented among those killed or injured as a result of vicious acts of terrorism and that our grief is shared throughout the world. Thank you for reaching out to express your compassion and friendship during these sad and troubling days.
Sincerely,

Shirley M. Tilghman

Duke University, Durham

Dear President Gaehtgens:

Thank you for your letter of September 13 and your heartfelt condolences for the victims and families of the terrorist attacks on our country.
It was good to hear from you and to be reminded of our time together at the AAU Celebration. We appreciate your words of comfort and support as we try to help our university community cope with the grief and horror of this tragedy. Thank you for reaching out to us during this difficult time.
Yours sincerely,

Nannerl O. Keohane

Columbia University, New York

Dear President Gaehtgens:

My colleagues and I are most grateful to you and the other faculty, staff, and students of the Freie Universität for your expression of support.
Sincerely,

George Rupp