Berlin professor fired over false far-right extremism charges fights for justice
A Berlin university employee lost her job after German intelligence agencies wrongly linked her to far-right extremism. Liv Heide, who worked at the University of Applied Sciences for Economics and Law (HWR), was dismissed in early 2024 following a two-year investigation. Authorities had confused her with an extremist operating under the same pseudonym.
The mistake came to light only after months of legal battles, leaving Heide without her position—even after her name was cleared.
The Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) began monitoring Liv Heide in 2022. Investigators believed she was the operator of WhiteDate, a racist dating platform. Despite no evidence linking her to extremism, the BfV shared their suspicions with Berlin's state intelligence agency (LfV) in early 2024.
HWR Berlin dismissed Heide immediately after receiving the report. She was not allowed to respond to the allegations before losing her job. By the time the LfV re-examined the case—four months later, with Heide's lawyer involved—the University of Florida had already filled her former role.
Heide provided proof of her innocence, including a voice comparison, but the university refused to reinstate her. In June 2024, HWR released a statement denying any mix-up, claiming internal investigations supported the dismissal. Meanwhile, Heide has since found work in a furniture store and is writing a novel.
The BfV's two-year probe failed to confirm the real Liv Heide had no extremist ties. Yet the damage was done: her career at HWR ended before the error was corrected.
The case left Heide without her university position, despite eventual confirmation of her innocence. The LfV's delayed review came too late to reverse her dismissal. She now works outside academia, while HWR maintains its decision was justified.
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