General Event Terms and Conditions of the University of Bonn for the Universitätsfest

1. Scope

(1)          These General Event Terms and Conditions apply to the Universitätsfest (hereinafter referred to as the “Event”) organized by the University of Bonn (hereinafter referred to as the “Organizer”). They set out the rights and obligations associated with participation by the contracting party (hereinafter referred to as the “Participant”).

(2)          These General Event Terms and Conditions shall apply exclusively. Any terms and conditions of the Participant that run counter to, deviate from or supplement them shall not form part of the contract.

(3)          In addition to these General Event Terms and Conditions, the safety and security guidelines and respective house rules applicable at the Event venue must also be followed.

2. Purpose of the contract

These General Event Terms and Conditions cover participation by the Participant in the Event, namely the Universitätsfest of the University of Bonn, as well as the organization of the Event and the provision by the Organizer of any services accompanying the Event.

3. Prior registration; conclusion of contract; registration on site

(1)          Access to the Event requires prior registration. Registration for the Event is carried out via web pages used or registration forms provided by the Organizer for this purpose.

(2)          Unless specified otherwise in a particular case, the Participant shall be deemed to submit an offer to participate in the Event when they[1] complete and submit the registration form provided. A contract of participation is concluded when the Organizer accepts this offer. Acceptance is granted in the form of an acceptance email following a review by the examination offices.

(3)          If they register online, the Participant will receive an automatic confirmation by email indicating that their details have been received. This email does not yet constitute registration within the meaning of paragraph 2. With online applications, acceptance is likewise granted when an acceptance email is sent following a review by the examination offices.

(4)          Confirmations of registration are binding as a basic principle and entitle the Participant to take part in the Universitätsfest. The Participant may only participate in the “procession of the faculties” and the “tossing of hats” if they are wearing a gown.

(5)          The wristbands granting admission to the Event will be handed out to the graduates entitled to attend as part of an accreditation process prior to the Event. This ensures that only Participants or other authorized persons are given access to the Event.

4. Description of the Event

(1)                The content, timetable and other details of the Event can be found in the Organizer’s description of the Event.

(2)                The University of Bonn reserves the right to refuse access to the Event on site for safety or security reasons—if applicable only temporarily and/or for parts of the Event—insofar as required on capacity grounds.

(3)          The right to amend the timetable and/or content of the program remains reserved. The Organizer shall communicate changes as early as possible via email or on the relevant official web page for the Event.

5. Participation fee; payment deadline; reduction

(1)          Accompanying persons aged 16 or over must pay to attend the Universitätsfest. Graduates are required to pay the agreed participation fee for the persons who they have indicated will be accompanying them during the accreditation process. The participation fee amounts to €35.00 per accompanying person aged 16 and over.

(2)          The participation fee must be paid in advance using the payment methods indicated. Participation remains free for our graduates. Under-16s do not need to pay a participation fee but will still need to be registered. You will be able to choose between two age categories—“0–15” and “16 and over”—when you register. Graduates will need to pay the participation fee for the persons accompanying them during accreditation, i.e. when they collect their gowns and event documentation in person on July 9 or 10, 2026 or, in special cases, on July 11, 2026 (card payment only).

(3)          Payment of the participation fee fulfills the entitlement to participate in the Event program.

(4)          This entitlement can only be set off against claims of the University of Bonn if the counterclaim is undisputed or has been established with legal force.

(5)          The Participant may only exercise a right of retention if their counterclaim relates to the same contractual relationship.

(6)          Changes to the program’s timetable or content that are made for good cause do not give rise to an entitlement to a reduced participation fee.

6. Inability of the Participant to participate

(1)          No contractual right of withdrawal or termination on the part of the Participant is provided for.

(2)          Registrations are binding. Should the graduate and/or the persons accompanying them be unable to participate, this must be communicated in writing prior to accreditation. Graduates who have participated in the accreditation process and paid for the persons accompanying them can no longer withdraw.

7. Cancellation by the Organizer; withdrawal by the Organizer

(1)          The Organizer reserves the right to cancel or abort the Event for good cause in accordance with the following provisions. Good cause shall be deemed to exist if, taking into account all circumstances of the individual case and weighing up the interests of both parties, it is unreasonable to expect the Organizer to hold the Event. In particular, good cause shall be deemed to exist in the event of a justified risk of terrorist attacks, severe natural disasters, force majeure (e.g. acts of war, strikes, epidemics, operational disruptions) or of the unavailability, illness or death of a speaker or other persons who are essential to the content and implementation of the Event program.

(2)          If the Event is canceled in accordance with paragraph 1, the obligation to pay a participation fee shall lapse. The Participant shall not be entitled to any further claims on account of the Event being canceled or aborted insofar as this was not due to a reason for which the Organizer was responsible.

(3)          If the number of registrations received for the Event is so low that it is not financially reasonable for the Organizer to hold the Event, taking into account the Event format and the general conditions planned for it (e.g. the venue, catering, number of speakers), the Organizer shall be entitled to withdraw from the Event and cancel it.

8. Powers to refuse entry to premises; smoking ban

The house rules applicable at the Event venue shall apply. The Participant shall obey all instructions issued in exercising powers to refuse entry to the premises.

9. Images and audio recordings

(1)          The Organizer will produce and use images and audio recordings (e.g. photographs or videos) during the Event, including the accompanying program, for documentation purposes, for reporting purposes during and after the Event, to follow up on an Event and to announce future Events. The Organizer is entitled to share the images and audio recordings with third parties (e.g. including the press) for the abovementioned purposes and to publish them on media platforms (e.g. Facebook, Instagram and its own web page).

(2)          The Participant may only produce and use images and audio recordings for their own personal purposes. Any commercial use of images and/or audio material by the Participant requires the Organizer’s prior written consent.

10. Event material; copyright and rights of use

(1)          The Organizer shall be entitled to hand out submitted contributions to Participants during the event, to make them publicly available on the Event web page and to publish and distribute them in the proceedings published to accompany an Event.

(2)          Event documents handed out to Participants will be copyrighted. These documents may not be copied, distributed or published. Without the University of Bonn’s express consent, the documents may only be copied for personal purposes within the meaning of § 53 of the Copyright Act (Urheberrechtsgesetz, UrhG).

11. Liability

(1)          The Organizer accepts no liability for the information and content provided by third parties in the Event documents being up to date, correct or complete. In particular, the Organizer accepts no liability for damage or loss resulting from the use or sharing of anything communicated as part of the Event.

(2)          The Organizer shall be liable for intent and gross negligence. The Organizer shall be liable for slight negligence in accordance with the Product Liability Act (Produkthaftungsgesetz, ProdHG) and in the event of damage or loss resulting from injury to life, limb or health.

(3)          In the case of slight negligence, the Organizer shall only be liable if it violates a material contractual obligation (cardinal obligation), i.e. an obligation of the kind that must be complied with before the contract can be properly performed and on whose fulfillment the contracting party is routinely entitled to rely. In this case, the scope of liability shall be limited to the foreseeable damage or loss that would typically occur. No liability is accepted for indirect damage or loss, for consequential damage or loss resulting from a defect, or for lost profits. The limitation of liability shall also apply in the event of fault on the part of a statutory representative or vicarious agent of the Organizer.

12. Privacy and data protection

The Organizer processes personal data that is collected in conjunction with registration for and participation in the Event in accordance with the applicable provisions of privacy and data protection law. Further information, especially on the purposes and scope of the processing and on the rights of data subjects, can be found in the Organizer’s privacy notice, reference to which is made during registration for the Event.

13. Final provisions

(1)          German law shall apply to all claims of the Participant arising from or in conjunction with participation in the Event.

(2)          If the participant is a merchant, a legal entity under public law or a special fund governed by public law, Bonn shall be the place of jurisdiction for all disputes arising from or in conjunction with these General Event Terms and Conditions.

 This document uses gender-neutral pronouns for the sake of clarity. The Terms and Conditions apply equally to persons of all genders.