<p>Academic freedom (AF) is a defining feature of liberal democracies and is therefore fundamental to the values and mission of academia in the spirit of enlightenment. However, in the face of war, anti-democratic political movements, and social-political polarisation, AF is under attack and under threat from various quarters. Drawing on a narrative literature review and conceptual content analysis, this paper advances a multi-perspective framework of AF that brings greater analytical clarity and normative force to current debates. It proposes a synthetic working definition comprising ten conceptual dimensions together with a five-level typology of threats ranging from political-regulatory interference to self-censorship. In doing so, the paper directly addresses persistent conceptual shortcomings, particularly the conflation of freedom of academic speech with general freedom of speech and the reduction of AF to only a few of its more familiar elements, such as research and teaching. It then develops measures to mitigate the generic threats identified. The framework is subsequently applied to Germany, a country often regarded as a stronghold of constitutionally protected AF, but one whose recent developments raise serious questions about the robustness of that protection in practice. By examining the interaction of constitutional guarantees, legislation, case law, and institutional self-commitments, the paper shows that formal legal protections, while indispensable, are not in themselves sufficient to secure AF effectively. It concludes by reflecting on what is at stake for both AF and liberal democracy.</p>