Aus dem Institut

Die Rechtsgeschichte des Britischen Empire steckt noch in den Anfängen – Band 25 der Global Perspectives on Legal History „Das Britische Empire in rechtsvergleichender Perspektive“ schließt einige dieser Lücken. Er beleuchtet Rechtstransfer und Rechtsgeographie in Australien, Kanada, den USA, der Karibik, Ostasien sowie Ost- und Südafrika. Ein zentraler Ansatz: Der Vergleich überwindet juristische und ahistorische Einseitigkeiten. Der Band zeigt, wie sich Gesetzgebungs- und Auslegungsmodelle über Kontinente hinweg anpassten – und wie Dekolonisierung neue Perspektiven auf rechtliche Entwicklungen eröffnet. mehr

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a unique legal experiment unfolded in Egypt, Syria/Lebanon, and Tangier. These regions, under semi-colonial control, established mixed courts—judicial bodies that blended local and foreign legal traditions to handle disputes involving foreigners. Aya Bejermi investigates how these courts operated as early forms of supranational law, influencing later international legal systems, including the foundations of European legal integration. Her study explores key questions: How did mixed court rulings evolve? How did lawyers and judges navigate competing legal traditions? And did this legal order leave a lasting imprint on modern supranational institutions? mehr

How were labour law enforcement ideas exchanged and adapted across borders? A new Call for Papers invites scholars to explore this question at a workshop organized by our researcher Johanna Wolf, John Howe (University of Melbourne), and Rebecca Zahn (University of Strathclyde). The event will take place at the University of Strathclyde on 11-12 September 2025 and will examine the historical development of dispute resolution and compliance mechanisms in labour law. The workshop aims to shed light on how enforcement ideas — ranging from arbitration and conciliation to trade union action and labour inspectorates — were shaped by international networks in the 19th and early 20th centuries. mehr

Wer definiert, was Antisemitismus ist, und mit welchen Konsequenzen? Mit dieser Frage befasst sich unsere Direktorin Marietta Auer in einem Beitrag für die Zeitschrift Merkur. In ihrer Rechtskolumne analysiert sie die aktuelle politische und juristische Debatte um den Begriff des Antisemitismus, insbesondere im Kontext der Resolution, die der Deutsche Bundestag am 7. November 2024 verabschiedet hat. Sie zeigt auf, dass die rechtliche Definition nicht nur eine Frage der Begriffsbestimmung ist, sondern tiefgehende Auswirkungen auf den gesellschaftlichen Diskurs, die Meinungsfreiheit und die politische Praxis hat. mehr

Das mpilhlt wurde zum zweiten Mal in Folge mit Gold für seinen Gleichstellungsplan ausgezeichnet. Die Evaluationskommission, bestehend aus Gleichstellungsbeauftragten der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft und anderer Forschungseinrichtungen, lobte insbesondere die regelmäßige und umfassende Datenerhebung des Instituts zur Überwachung der Gleichstellungssituation, die Geschlechterparität unter den Forschenden sowie die Fortschritte bei der Schließung des Gender Pay Gaps im wissenschaftsunterstützenden Bereich. mehr

Think colonialism only changed borders? Think again. Pioneering research reveals how British colonial rule didn't just impose foreign laws - it dismantled indigenous legal systems and marginalised women who once played central roles. Before 1890, Asante women in Ghana shaped the law and exercised authority in courts and communities alike. Through her work, Paulien Broens uncovers the overlooked power of pre-colonial Ghanaian women and reveals how colonial rule entrenched a legacy of gender inequality that continues to this day. In our interview, she talks about how colonial administrators ignored and erased female legal authority, the resilience of Asante women, and the ongoing fight for recognition in Ghana today. mehr

In his contribution to our blog Legal History Insights, Omer Aloni of Tel Aviv University explores the dynamic relationship between traditional and contemporary legal systems in Israel. His analysis, titled "Present Absentee: The Sulha as a Mechanism of Legal Pluralism in Israeli Law," delves into a pivotal Supreme Court case from the 1950s. This case highlights the Sulha, a customary Arab reconciliation process, as a cornerstone of legal pluralism. Aloni recounts how the Sulha was instrumental in resolving a manslaughter case, its emphasis on familial and communal harmony leading to a mitigated sentence and underscoring the integration of restorative justice within the legal framework. mehr

The position of Managing Director at the Institute rotates among the three Directors every three years. As of 2025, Stefan Vogenauer has assumed this role, succeeding Marietta Auer at the start of the year. The Managing Director oversees the Institute’s day-to-day operations, particularly its administrative functions. In his introductory message, Vogenauer extends his gratitude to Marietta Auer for her exemplary leadership and shares his plans to further advance the Institute’s mission through strategic initiatives and continued dedication to outstanding research. mehr

In her PhD Project Manuela Camargo de Assis investigates the often-overlooked role of architects in shaping international law. Traditionally, legal scholarship has focused on written texts and metaphorical references to architecture, but Camargo de Assis argues that architecture’s physical and visual dimensions can directly influence legal norms, authority, and power. Her work centers on a series of 20th- and 21st-century case studies of buildings designed to house international organizations. Drawing on legal history, architecture, and visual studies, this research highlights the interplay between the discursive and material facets of international law. mehr

The Max Planck Summer Academy for Legal History 2025 is now accepting applications. This annual program offers a unique opportunity for early-stage researchers, primarily PhD candidates, to deepen their understanding of legal history through traditional and modern approaches. This year’s theme, ‘The Struggle for Law‘, invites participants to explore the conflictual and transformative dimensions of law, inspired by the reflections of 19th-century legal scholar Rudolf von Jhering. Topics may include societal conflicts shaping lawmaking, individual struggles for rights, and legal systems’ adaptation to change. mehr

On 15. January 2025, as part of the Max Planck Lecture in Legal History and Legal Theory series, Yanna Yannakakis (Emory University) presents the lecture, “Future-making and Custom in Indigenous Land Claims in Colonial Mexico.” This talk delves into the ways Indigenous communities in colonial Mexico engaged with Spanish legal systems to secure their land rights, challenging conventional perceptions that place Indigenous peoples as perpetually tied to the past. Focusing on Indigenous litigation strategies, Yannakakis examines how Native authorities employed Spanish-style partnership contracts to assert communal land claims rooted in ancestral possession. This practice reflects an intentional form of “future-making,” wherein Indigenous communities aimed to avoid costly cycles of litigation and potential conflict with neighboring groups. mehr

In her latest post for our Legal History Insights blog, Raquel R. Sirotti recounts a research trip she and two colleagues took to Maputo, where they explored the depths of colonial archives and sought out voices rarely captured in official records. Faced with the limitations of written sources, they turned to oral histories and woven these stories into Tramas Coloniais, a documentary podcast that reimagines how African stories can be told. 'To write a history of colonialism and its normativities in Africa that truly seeks to understand and highlight the agency of Africans and their forms of knowledge production, it is crucial to go beyond written sources,' she reflects.  mehr

„Privilegien“ gehören heute – negativ konnotiert – in allen Ländern zur politisch-sozialen Sprache, da sie dem Gerechtigkeitswert der „Gleichheit“ in Staat und Gesellschaft widersprechen. Die ursprünglich rechtliche Bedeutung dieses ubiquitären Begriffs, die auf das römisch-kanonische Recht zurückgeht, ist heute weitgehend verschüttet. Heinz Mohnhaupt zeichnet in Band 343 der Studien zur europäischen Rechtsgeschichte die europäisch dimensionierte Geschichte der „privilegia“ und deren Bedeutung für die Entwicklung von Recht, Staat und Gesellschaft in der longue durée nach. Eine umfangreiche, territorial gegliederte Quellenübersicht und eine nach Materien geordnete Bibliographie vom Mittelalter bis heute begleiten die Darstellung.  mehr

Wie prägen Architekturen soziale Ordnungen, und welche Rolle spielt das Recht dabei? Das interdisziplinäre Graduiertenkolleg „Architekturen Organisieren“ untersucht diese Zusammenhänge. Im Fokus steht dabei nicht Architektur als Ausdruck individueller Kreativität, sondern ihre Rolle in sozialen Ordnungsprozessen – verbunden mit Fragen der Normativität. Das Recht beeinflusst Architektur, indem es durch öffentliches Bauplanungsrecht, Bauordnungsrecht und privates Baurecht Rahmenbedingungen schafft. Es wirkt auch indirekt, etwa über Ausbildungsregeln, Vorschriften zur kollektiven Interessenvertretung oder das Verwaltungsorganisationsrecht. Gleichzeitig können sich in Architektur auch rechtlich relevante Aussagen versinnbildlichen.
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In his research project, ,A Critical Reappraisal of Legal Positivism’, Luke Kelland aims to reassess foundational assumptions in legal positivist theory. Integrating legal theory and the history of jurisprudence, this project examines the guiding role of law in shaping human behavior and questions the universal aspirations of legal positivist theories. By challenging core concepts such as the necessity of conceptual analysis for defining legal validity, the research creates a platform to critique the methodological underpinnings of legal positivism. This project seeks to identify alternative frameworks and approaches that may offer more comprehensive insights, addressing the current gap in positivist theory's capacity to encompass diverse jurisprudential perspectives. mehr