Help and advice services

It is important to the University of Music and Drama that staff, students and guests treat each other fairly and respectfully. The conditions of artistic and academic education with its large proportion of individual and small group lessons, personal dependence on the teacher, high pressure to perform and the commitment of the whole person require particularly sensitive interaction with one another.

In difficult life situations or with mental health problems, you can contact the following counseling centers

The physical and mental stress caused by the constant and high demands of artistic studies is extreme. Get help at an early stage if you experience discomfort or irritation:

Talk to a fellow student or a teacher you trust if you are having difficulties. Problems can weigh heavily on us. We need a sympathetic ear, someone we can turn to in confidence and who will listen and support us. University staff and students are invited to contact the AStA or the Council of Confidence at an early stage if they have a problem.

In the event of bullying, students should contact their main subject lecturer or the head of degree program. Employees should contact their line manager.

"Where there is a cult of personality, hierarchies and strong pressure to perform, abuse of power is usually not far away" (Samnick, Olivia and Röhreke, Friederike (2023). Crime scene university. #MeToo and abuse of power at universities. Available on the ZDF website until 19.07.2025, minute 20:08)

Abuse of power is an issue that requires special attention in any asymmetrical relationship. Teaching-learning relationships as well as supervisor-employee relationships require a high degree of self-reflection and role clarity on the part of the teacher or supervisor, who must always be aware of their responsibility and their role model function, despite all personal influence and involvement in the teaching or leadership style, not to become private or to use dependencies to their own advantage.

The university's student awareness team can be contacted in such cases and provides support in clarifying the role conflict and the dependencies that have arisen. The university's Equal Opportunities Office and the Council of Confidence are also helpful sources of advice in the event of conflicts concerning the abuse of power.
In the event of abuse of power in the context of science and research at our university, please contact the ombudspersons for good scientific practice.
DFG guidelines and basic rules of good scientific practice

Where do discrimination and harassment begin?

Even derogatory language, an inappropriate compliment, unwanted proximity or touching can constitute harassment or discrimination or be perceived as such. It is the task of the teacher or supervisor to create an atmosphere and a framework in which irritating behavior can be named and regulated by those involved.

In art lessons, touching can sometimes be helpful for the purpose of demonstrating physical processes. In this case, the teacher needs to make a clear statement in advance about the purpose and the exact physical position of the touch. The students themselves decide whether or not they wish to make use of this type of demonstration. If students do not agree to the physical touch, teachers are instructed to respect this and keep their distance.

All members and affiliates of the university are called upon to ensure that disadvantages, discrimination or sexual harassment and violence are not practiced and not tolerated at their place of work or study.

In spring 2023, an updated version of the Code of Conduct for the HfMT was drawn up by the Ethics Council in cooperation with all of the university's Committees and adopted by the University Senate in July 2023.

In August 2015, the University Senate adopted an anti-discrimination guideline for protection against disadvantage, discrimination, sexual harassment and violence.

In the event of violations of these guidelines, it is possible to submit a formal complaint. The complaints offices named in the anti-discrimination guidelines ensure that the anonymity of those involved is maintained. Complaints are pursued and punished by the university management.

If your complaint concerns an incident that occurred some time ago, please contact the

If your classes are frequently canceled, please contact the head of the relevant Dean of Studies Office or the Vice President for Studies and Teaching.

In May 2013, the HfMT, together with the Hafen City University (HCU), the Hamburg University of Fine Arts (HFBK) and the Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH), also assigned the function of anti-corruption office to the joint internal audit department.

The appointment is based on the agreement of the "General Administrative Regulation on Measures to Combat Corruption (in particular Corruption Prevention)" in accordance with Section 94 of the Hamburg Staff Representation Act of 30.08.2001. Corruption damages the reputation and economic efficiency of universities / higher education institutions. Preventing and, if necessary, prosecuting corruption is therefore in the common interest of all employees. It is the responsibility of superiors to educate their employees, to point out potential dangers and to protect them from the risk of corruption. Every employee has a duty to support  others, to take signs of corruption seriously and, if necessary, to overcome difficult situations together. Appropriate training courses offered by ZAF will support you in this.

If you become aware of a case of corruption or a related offense based on information obtained in the course of your work, or if you have reasonable grounds to suspect it, please report this at an early stage.

The Anti-Corruption Office is available as a contact person for this purpose, who will receive and examine your information confidentially and take any necessary steps.

Your contact:
Maria Lüders
Phone: 040 428 78 4123
TUHH, Am Schwarzenberg Campus 1, Building A, Room 2.70
Email: maria.lueders@tuhh.de

Internal reporting office for whistleblower protection

Employees are often the first to notice legal violations. For fear of reprisals, many do not dare to report legal violations. "Whistleblowers" now have better protection:

EU Directive 2019/1937 (EU Whistleblower Protection Directive) aims to protect people who report information about breaches of Union law. The federal legislator has transposed the EU Directive into German law with the Whistleblower Protection Act (HinSchG). Against this background, the HfMT Hamburg has set up an Internal Reporting Office where employees of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg can report violations of the law that fall within the scope of the Directive[1] or fall within the material scope of the Whistleblower Protection Act[2 ] and that have occurred within the area of responsibility of the Internal Reporting Office of the HfMT Hamburg. The identities of the whistleblowers and third parties mentioned in the report are always treated confidentially. This is also intended to protect whistleblowers from undue disadvantages such as bullying, poor evaluations or other professional consequences. In this context, please note the exceptions to the confidentiality requirement in accordance with § 9 HinSchG.

Our common goal is to investigate reported violations and put an end to them.

Communications to the Internal Reporting Office are "communications in the course of official business" within the meaning of Section 37 BeamtStG and are therefore generally permissible. Staff members who report information obtained in the course of their duties to an internal reporting office via the intended channel are generally performing an official duty. However, the regulations of certain areas remain unaffected by the EU Whistleblower Protection Directive[3]; therefore, information from these areas may not generally be reported in the context of whistleblowing under the EU Whistleblower Protection Directive. For German law, the information that does not fall within the scope of the Whistleblower Protection Act is regulated in Sections 5, 6 HinSchG. Section 4 HinSchG contains a list of regulations that take precedence over the Whistleblower Protection Act.

You are welcome to contact the Internal Reporting Office in advance of making a report and obtain more detailed information.

Your contact person at the Internal Reporting Office:

Footnotes on whistleblower protection:

[1] See Art. 2 para. 1 i. Annex EU Whistleblower Protection Directive.

[2] See § 2 HinSchG.

[3] See Art. 3 para. 2 and 3 EU Whistleblower Protection Directive: safeguarding national security/protection of essential security interests; protection of classified information; protection of legal and medical confidentiality obligations; judicial secrecy; criminal procedure law.

Status: 17.11.2023