The ‘Göttingen Seven’ – professors who opposed the abolition of the constitution by the King of Hanover in 1837 and were subsequently dismissed – set a milestone in the history of the university and the constitution. They are commemorated to this day in speeches, lectures and monuments. However, the events of 1837 cannot be taken up so easily in the 21st century. What happened then, what has changed since then and what we can learn from it today will be considered here.