News

For the academic year 2026/2027, the Käte Hamburger Kolleg ‘Legal Unity and Pluralism’ (EViR) at the University of Münster is awarding fellowships for projects in history, law and legal history lasting between 6 and 12 months. The application deadline for applications in the field of law has been extended to 26 October 2025.

On 13 October 2025, the Käte Hamburger Kolleg marked the start of its second funding phase. At an event held at the University of Münster's Geomuseum, fellows and alumni, colleagues from the faculties, partners and friends, along with an interested audience, came together to celebrate what has been achieved and what lies ahead.

A collection of conference proceedings entitled Ancient Greek Law: Vectors of Unity and Local Idiosyncrasy has now been published, documenting the results of a symposium held in February 2023 at the Käte Hamburger Kolleg ‘Legal Unity and Pluralism’.

The Käte Hamburger Kolleg's event programme for the 2025/2026 winter semester has been published. In addition to the ceremonial opening of the Kolleg's second funding phase, numerous ‘Tea Time Talks’ and interdisciplinary discussions are planned as part of two concept forums.

For the academic year 2026/27, the Käte Hamburger Kolleg “Einheit und Vielfalt im Recht | Legal Unity and Pluralism” (EViR) at the University of Münster invites applications for fellowships for projects in the fields of history, law and legal history for 6 to 12 months. The final date for applications is 15 October.

A new volume on sorcery and jurisdiction in early modern Angola has been published in the Käte Hamburger Kolleg series. João Figueiredo uses Angola as an example to examine the encounter between two normative worlds in West-Central Africa.

A new volume has been published in the open access series EViR Working Papers, in which Sophia Mösch examines the hitherto lesser-considered conceptual framework of worldly rule in Augustine's De civitate Dei (The City of God). The paper opens up new perspectives on the role of political advice in the Carolingian Empire and the interplay between divine and secular law.

On 5 June 2025, the Käte Hamburger Kolleg ‘Legal Unity and Pluralism’ hosted a panel discussion with the aim of connecting the centuries-old history of East Central Europe with its present and future. The discussion was moderated by EViR Director Prof. Dr. Ulrike Ludwig under the heading ‘Social diversity and legal plurality in East-Central Europe: looking back and forward’.

A new volume has been published in the EViR Working Papers open access series, presenting the results of the Conceptual Forum ‘Knowledge of Normativity’. Based on the concept by legal historian Thomas Duve, the volume opens up new perspectives for a global legal history.

The legal scholar Prof. Dr. Nora Markard has been the new co-director of the Käte Hamburger Kolleg ‘Legal Unity and Pluralism’ since 1 June 2025. Together with historian Prof. Dr. Ulrike Ludwig, she will be heading the Kolleg, succeeding Prof. Dr. Peter Oestmann, who will continue to be an academic member of the Kolleg.

The Käte Hamburger Kolleg ‘Legal Unity and Pluralism’ has published its new annual report. The 120-page report provides a comprehensive overview of the Kolleg's activities in the period 2024/2025 and also takes a look back at the first funding phase (2021-2025).

Today, the region of East-Central Europe roughly comprises the Czech Republic and Slovakia, Poland, Ukraine and Lithuania, Hungary and (Western) Romania. The Käte Hamburger Kolleg ‘Legal Unity and Pluralism’ (EViR) at the University of Münster is hosting a panel discussion entitled ‘Gesellschaftliche Pluralität und rechtliche Vielfalt in Ostmitteleuropa: Perspektiven zurück und nach vorn’ (Social plurality and legal diversity in East Central Europe: perspectives backwards and forwards’) on 5 June (Thursday) at 18.30 in the Studiobühne at Domplatz 23.

In a current article on the portal of the Framework Programme Humanities and Social Sciences of the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR), EViR Director Ulrike Ludwig highlights the importance of interdisciplinary research and provides an outlook on the second funding phase. The full statement and further information on the perspectives of the Käte Hamburger Centres can be found on the GSW portal (article in German).

The Käte Hamburger Kolleg is starting its summer semester and welcomes a new cohort of fellows. Ten scholars from the fields of history, legal history and Jewish Studies will conduct research on projects in the field of legal unity and pluralism, enriching the Kolleg with their different perspectives.

The Käte Hamburger Kolleg "Legal Unity and Pluralism" at the University of Münster is seeking to fill the position of Student Assistant from 1 July 2025 until 30 June 2026 with a weekly working time of up to 8 hours. (Job advertisement in German)

The third annual conference of the Käte Hamburger Kolleg “Legal Unity and Pluralism” at the University of Münster investigates the causes of legal pluralism. From 7 to 9 April, the international conference will bring together numerous researchers from the fields of history, law and social sciences.

The Käte Hamburger Kolleg "Legal Unity and Pluralism" (EViR) at the University of Münster will enter its second funding phase from June 2025. The Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is funding the Kolleg and its Fellow Programme for a further four years with around 7.7 million euros. The maximum possible funding period is twelve years.

The series of conferences on exception and legal pluralism will continue from 26 to 28 March 2025. After the first two conferences focussed on Roman law in antiquity (July 2022) and law in the pre-modern era (September 2023), the third and final part will now focus on law since the French Revolution.

For the academic years 2025/26 and 2026/27, the Käte Hamburger Kolleg “Einheit und Vielfalt im Recht | Legal Unity and Pluralism” (EViR) at the University of Münster invites applications for fellowships of between 6 to 12 months.

The Käte Hamburger Kolleg ‘Legal Unity and Pluralism’ at the University of Münster is seeking to fill the position of employee in the area of fellow management to be filled. The position is part-time (75%) and will run until 31 May 2029, depending on the duration of the externally funded project. Grouping is possible up to pay grade 9b TV-L. (Job advertisement in German)

The programme of events of the Käte Hamburger Kolleg for the summer semester 2025 has been published. In addition to the Kolleg's annual conference, the programme includes two workshops dealing with legal developments in the Iberian world and the Islamic world as well as India.

A volume on marriages in the early modern period has been published in the Käte Hamburger Kolleg's publication series. Using the county of Lippe as an example, Iris Fleßenkämper examines how people dealt with the variety of regulatory options in an area of life that was fundamental to the maintenance of family and social order.

The Academic Advisory Board of the Käte Hamburger Kolleg ‘Legal Unity and Pluralism’ has welcomed Prof Dr Michael Riegner as a new member. Riegner is Professor of International Administrative Law and Public International Law at the University of Erfurt and specialises in research on law in the Global South.

The Käte Hamburger Kolleg "Legal Unity and Pluralism" at the University of Münster is seeking to fill the position of Research Associate (E 13 TV-L) from 1 June 2025, subject to approval by the external funding body. A part-time position (55%) will be offered until 31.05.2029 for the duration of the externally funded project. This will be increased to 100% with funds from the chair of Prof. Dr. Nora Markard; the 45% from chair funds is linked to the usual teaching obligation. (Job advertisement in German)

The legal historian Dr Sebastian M. Spitra from the University of Vienna has taken over the research professorship at the Käte Hamburger Kolleg ‘Legal Unity and Pluralism’ (EViR) on 1 October 2024. He succeeds Dr Gregor Albers and will help shape the programme of the Kolleg as part of the management team until May 2025.