Timeline:

• October 2022: 9 students founded the group, and started their activities.
• April 2023: Students applied for recognition as a university group.
• May 2023: A prompt rejection came from the Referatekonferenz (or “RefKonf”, the executive body of the constituted student body). They stated, “Good morning, the RefKonf has discussed your registration and has come to the consensus to refuse your inclusion on the list due to clearly misogynistic activity in terms of the incompatibility resolution of the student council.”
• June 2023: The group leader applied for the RefKonf’s decision to be revoked.
• July 2023: A legally binding decision quickly arrived, rejecting the request for withdrawal as well.
• October 2024: The students were still waiting for a response to their appeal.
• October 2025: New students joined the group, continuing activities and receiving positive feedback from fellow students — yet they are still waiting for official approval.

• April 2026: Following a hearing before the Administrative Court of Karlsruhe, the lawsuit was dismissed. The court ruled that ProLife Heidelberg did not meet the formal requirements for recognition as an official university group, in particular because the group was not composed predominantly of students from Heidelberg University and because students did not exercise sufficient influence over the group’s decision-making processes.

  At the same time, the court made clear that it had no fundamental objections to the pro-life mission or activities of the group and indicated that the group likely would have been recognized had these formal criteria been fulfilled.

  ProLife Heidelberg remains active and more determined than ever. The students continue to organize outreach activities, engage fellow students in respectful conversations about abortion and human dignity, and offer support to pregnant students. The group is currently restructuring in accordance with the court’s guidelines and intends to submit a new application for official recognition.

About ProLife Heidelberg

As stated in its statutes, the aim of ProLife Heidelberg is to promote respectful, fact-based, and peaceful discussion about the value of unborn human life. Through its activities, the students seek to raise awareness of the challenges faced by women in crisis pregnancies and to provide practical support and information for students who may be affected by an unexpected pregnancy.

Although not everyone shares their views, the group believes that abortion is an issue of great societal importance and that universities should remain places where such topics can be discussed openly and respectfully.

The refusal to accredit the group, along with the characterization of its views as misogynistic, raises serious concerns regarding freedom of expression, diversity of viewpoints, and the commitment of universities to open intellectual discourse.

We are convinced that ProLife Heidelberg can make a valuable contribution to university life by addressing the often-taboo subject of abortion, supporting women facing difficult pregnancies, and fostering thoughtful discussion about the dignity of every human life.

Thank you to the 28.908 people who supported this initiative and signed the petition in defense of freedom of expression and pluralism at German and European universities.

ProLife Heidelberg remains active and more determined than ever. The students intend to continue their outreach activities, engage their fellow students in respectful conversations about abortion and human dignity, and offer support to pregnant students.