University of Hamburg Rejects Plagiarism Allegations Against Robert Habeck in Second Investigation
The University of Hamburg has once again refuted allegations of plagiarism against Robert Habeck, the Green Party’s candidate for Chancellor, in a second review of his doctoral dissertation.
The university announced that the second investigation confirmed the results of the first, which had found no evidence of scientific misconduct by Habeck.
"This result was communicated to Dr. Robert Habeck in writing," the university stated, adding that "the recommendations for revising certain citations and footnotes in the dissertation were supplemented with a few additional passages."
The investigation focused on Habeck’s doctoral dissertation, "The Nature of Literature," submitted in 2001. The allegations stemmed from accusations made by Stefan Weber, a controversial Austrian plagiarism investigator. After receiving "a series of very specific accusations" in January, Habeck requested that the university’s ombudsman’s office review his work.
The university’s initial investigation found that Habeck had not breached the standards of good scientific practice, either intentionally or through gross negligence. Following this assessment, Habeck provided the university with additional information, which was also "carefully reviewed and evaluated."
The second investigation concluded that the new evidence did not warrant a reassessment of the case. The university maintained that "there is no scientific misconduct."
Weber had accused Habeck of "methodically simulating a source-based work that did not take place." He claimed that Habeck had plagiarized text fragments and cited authors as primary sources even though he had apparently not read their works directly, but had instead copied the source references from other, uncited works.
In his published report, Weber alleged that Habeck had committed 128 "source, citation, and text plagiarisms." He accused Habeck of citing the works of certain authors as primary sources when it was evident that he had not read them, and had instead copied the source references from other, unnamed works.
Habeck has vehemently denied the allegations, calling them "a political campaign" against him. He has stated that he used all sources correctly and that any errors or omissions in citations were unintentional.
The University of Hamburg’s findings have been met with mixed reactions. Some have welcomed the university’s thorough investigation and its conclusion that Habeck did not commit plagiarism. Others have questioned the university’s objectivity and have suggested that political pressure may have influenced the outcome.
The plagiarism allegations against Habeck have become a major issue in the German election campaign. Habeck is the Green Party’s candidate for Chancellor, and the accusations could potentially damage his chances of winning. However, the university’s findings have strengthened Habeck’s position and have cast doubt on the credibility of Weber’s allegations.
