On 5 November I was invited to the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Cologne to participate in the political science seminar on “Spin Control as a Profession” held by the Cologne-based publicist Werner Rügemer. To the group of about 35 students I explained the functions of Wikipedia, possible manipulation routes and the ties between the Wikipedia community and the PR sector. We also discussed censorship of Wikipedia by autocratic regimes and the Wikimedia Foundation’s special right to intervene with regard to Wikipedia content.

Werner Rügemer, who holds a PhD in political science and has been a lecturer in Cologne since 1989, is one of the most reknown authors dealing with so-called “Klüngel” and corruption in Cologne. In the documentary “Let’s make money” by Erwin Wagenhofer he explains the sale of the Vienna trams in a cross-border leasing transaction.