The Carmelite church in the Bavarian city of Straubing will be the official TUM university church. At a gala religious service on Saturday the Technical University of Munich (TUM) welcomed the dedication of the new university church. It is a part of Straubing's historically very important Carmelite monastery, which became the property of the State of Bavaria in 2018 and was made available for academic use by TUM.
Speaking at the ceremonies, Bavarian State Minister of Science and the Arts Markus Blume said: "This is a great day for Straubing: The Lower Bavaria region is filled with historical Bavarian nostalgia and is at the same time full of modern high-tech. The university church is our bridge between faith and progress. Our faith is an important foundation on which we can build our trust, providing us with an anchor in these fast-moving times. TUM now has its own church, an additional ethical compass to help chart the course of university innovation. And the new university church sends an important signal to society: We are committed to our Christian roots. We are not only preserving a building but the very soul of Bavaria."
TUM President Prof. Thomas F. Hofmann observed: "The Carmelite monastery together with its Church of the Holy Spirit are historical symbols of the university city Straubing. The continuing use of the building as a university church fits wonderfully with our TUM Campus Straubing for Biotechnology and Sustainability. Here we are creating a special place at TUM that unites scientific progressive thinking with theological reflectiveness and Christian commitment to respecting other religious convictions."
