Investigative scrutiny cast upon Saskia Ludwig's doctoral thesis from the onset - University raises suspicions over Saskia Ludwig's dissertation.
In the academic world, a storm is brewing over the doctoral thesis of Saskia Ludwig, a prominent CDU politician and member of the German Bundestag. Reports from the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) have raised plagiarism suspicions against Ludwig's thesis, which she completed at the University of Potsdam [1].
The investigation into Ludwig's work was initiated by journalist Jochen Zenthofer, who found numerous unacknowledged text borrowings in the thesis [2]. The university has since confirmed the initial suspicion and is conducting a thorough examination, including checking the requested text passages and examining the time axes when the texts were published to get a comprehensive picture [2].
As of late July 2025, the status of the investigation remains unclear, with no publicly available definitive conclusion or detailed update on the progress [2]. The potential impact on Ludwig's eligibility for judicial election is also uncertain, as no explicit details have been reported [1][2].
Meanwhile, the election of another academic, Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf, for the Federal Constitutional Court was temporarily removed from the agenda in the Bundestag due to similar plagiarism suspicions [3]. A short expert opinion cleared Brosia-Gersdorf of the accusation of scientific misconduct, but the investigation continues [3].
The plagiarism allegations have added fuel to the ongoing rivalry between Ludwig and Brosius-Gersdorf. Ludwig, a critic of Brosius-Gersdorf's SPD constitutional judge candidacy, has demanded that Brosius-Gersdorf step down from her position until the plagiarism suspicions against her are cleared [4].
The work, titled "The outsourcing of tasks in state-owned enterprises in the federal state of Brandenburg and other selected federal states", contains at least 86 unacknowledged borrowings on the first 113 pages [5]. The university president, Oliver Günther, has confirmed the initial suspicion and stated that relevant committees are now investigating [5].
As the investigation continues, the University of Potsdam and official political/legal authorities will provide the definitive answer on Ludwig’s situation. Until then, the public reports only indicate ongoing scrutiny without final outcomes.
Sources: [1] Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, July 20, 2025. [2] Deutsche Welle, July 21, 2025. [3] Tagesspiegel, July 22, 2025. [4] Die Welt, July 23, 2025. [5] Berliner Zeitung, July 24, 2025.
- The ongoing investigation into Saskia Ludwig's doctoral thesis, which involves allegations of plagiarism, underscores the significance of adhering to Community law related to education-and-self-development and academic integrity within political circles.
- The recent political turmoil surrounding accusations of plagiarism against CDU politician Saskia Ludwig and academic Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf highlights the need for transparency and accountability in politics to uphold the principles of general-news media reporting and reinforce public trust.
