CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: Max Planck Summer Academy for Legal History 2026 (Frankfurt: MPILHLT, 6-17 JUL 2026); DEADLINE 31 JAN 2026

 

(image source: MPILHLT)

On the academy:

The Max Planck Summer Academy for Legal History provides a selected group of highly motivated early-stage research students, usually PhD candidates, with an in-depth introduction to traditional and contemporary approaches and methods in legal history. The Summer Academy consists of three parts. The first part introduces the international group of PhD students to sources, methodological approaches and theoretical models as well as to controversial research debates on fundamental issues of legal history. The introductory courses are led by members of the Institute and external guest speakers. In the second part, the invited participants present their own projects within the context of the respective year’s special topic. The third part of the Academy offers the opportunity to all participants to further develop their own research by making use of the library and by discussing their projects with the Institute’s experts in the different fields of legal history. The course will take place at the Max Planck Institute for Legal History and Legal Theory in Frankfurt am Main, Germany (mpilhlt).

This years' theme: legal literacy

If law is understood as a knowledge-based social practice, it becomes essential to reflect on the forms of legal knowledge that guide the actors. But what, in fact, constitutes legal knowledge? How can it be reconstructed? Is it the black-letter law, the practitioners’ law, or rather the background knowledge managed by laypeople, subaltern actors, or members of the elite? How can legal historians approach the reconstruction of such knowledge? In recent years, scholars have emphasized the importance of legal literacy of a variety of actors and have shed new light on the diverse media through which this knowledge is expressed and transmitted. We invite participants to submit proposals that engage with these and related questions.

Practical:

Early-stage research students, usually PhD candidates. Working knowledge of English is required, German is not a prerequisite. Application All applications must be supported by a CV, a project summary (approx. 10 pages) and a letter of motivation. Please send your applications via e-mail to: summeracademy@lhlt.mpg.de Submission deadline for applications is 31 January 2026. Fees The Academy is generously funded by mpilhlt. There is no participation fee. Accommodation will be provided by the organisers for free. Participants, however, will be responsible for covering their travel expenses (in cases of hardship these can be covered by a limited number of scholarships). 

Read more here. 

CALL FOR APPLICATIONS: Max Planck Summer Academy for Legal History 2024 (Frankfurt: MPILHLT, 1-12 JUL 2024)

 

(image source: MPILHLT)

On the iniative:

The Max Planck Summer Academy for Legal History provides a selected group of highly motivated early-stage research students, usually PhD candidates, with an in-depth introduction to traditional and contemporary approaches and methods in legal history. original The Summer Academy consists of three parts. The first part introduces the international group of PhD students to sources, methodological approaches and theoretical models as well as to controversial research debates on fundamental issues of legal history. The introductory courses are led by members of the Institute and external guest speakers. In the second part, the invited participants present their own projects within the context of the respective year’s special topic. The third part of the Academy offers the opportunity to all participants to further develop their own research by making use of the library and by discussing their projects with the Institute’s experts in the different fields of legal history. The course will take place at the Max Planck Institute for Legal History and Legal Theory in Frankfurt am Main, Germany (mpilhlt).

On this year's theme "mediality and the materiality of law":

‘Mediality’ and ‘materiality’ are important keywords in historical and cultural studies debates. Legal scholarship has also been devoting a great deal of thought to the material and medial conditions of the production and enforcement of law. Legal history has been pursuing this avenue of research for quite some time, noteworthy examples of which include legal archaeology and the long-standing discussions on orality and writing, for example, in medieval legal history. As of late, more theoretically grounded considerations have entered this discussion, which ask, for instance, about the interplay between the form and content of legal texts through the advent of new technologies such as printing or digitisation. There is a fair amount of interest in the legal significance of of rituals and how they are performed, the connections between architecture, furnishings, and attire as well as the normative power of images. Some even question whether the history of law would look very different if it had not been written solely based on written sources but, for example, on images and artefacts. The question of the ‘mediality’ and the ‘materiality’ of law thus also touches on fundamental aspects of legalhistorical research such as the concepts of the ‘source’, the ‘archive’ and ultimately even that of law. Such issues will be the focus of the 2024 Summer Academy. 

Eligibility:

Early-stage research students, usually PhD candidates. Working knowledge of English is required, German is not a prerequisite. 

Application:

All applications must be supported by a CV, a project summary (approx. 10 pages) and a letter of motivation. Please send your applications via e-mail to: summeracademy@lhlt.mpg.de Submission deadline for applications is 31 January 2024. 

Fees:

The Academy is generously funded by mpilhlt. There is no participation fee. Accommodation will be provided by the organisers for free. Participants, however, will be responsible for covering their travel expenses (in cases of hardship these can be covered by a limited number of scholarships). 

More information here. 

SUMMER SCHOOL: Max Planck Summer Academy for Legal History, 5-16 August 2019 (DEADLINE: 31 January 2019)

(Source: MPI for European Legal History)

The Max Planck Institute for European Legal History launched a call for applications for its annual summer school PhD candidates.

Since 2014, the Institute has organised the annual Max Planck Summer Academy for Legal History. Its aim is to provide roughly 20 early-stage researchers, usually PhD students, from all over the world with an in-depth introduction to basic approaches and methods of research in legal history.

The Summer Academy is intended to develop the ability of its participants to transfer legal terminologies and theories across linguistic and cultural contexts, thus providing a basis to build and consolidate international research networks.

It addresses highly motivated early-stage researchers, usually PhD candidates, with an interest in the basic research of historical formation and transformations of law and other normative orders.

The Summer Academy consists of two parts. The first part provides an introduction to the study of sources, methodological principles, as well as theoretical models and controversial research debates on basic research fields of legal history. In the second part, the participants discuss the special research theme and develop their own approach to the topic.

The next course takes place from 5 August 2019 - 16 August 2019 at the Max Planck Institute for European Legal History in Frankfurt am Main, Germany.

Curriculum

Researchers and fellows of the Institute alongside invited guest speakers give introductions to the manifold facets, sources, theoretical foundations, research perspectives and methodologies of the different subfields of Legal History.

• Antiquity and Roman Law
• Ius Commune - Legists
• Ius Commune - Canonists
• History of Private Law
• History of Common Law
• History of Criminal Law
• Constitutional History
• Legal History of Ibero-America
• Legal Transfer in the Common Law World
• Contemporary Legal History
• History of International Law
• History of European Union Law
• Legal Theory

As a summer academy should not consist of academic activities only, a variety of extra-curricular activities, such as visits to nearby historical sites and several get-togethers in the evenings are offered.

This years's theme: Law in Texts and Contexts

Written texts represent the largest part of the sources of legal history. Obviously, they cannot be understood without their respective historical contexts. In recent decades, however, there has been a growing awareness that they must also be read with specific attention to their mediality and their interrelation with visual and oral sources as well as objects and artifacts. Historians, but also legal theorist, are reflecting more intensively about textuality and normativity, and digital humanities seem to hold great opportunities for legal historical research. What do this developments mean for legal historical research, and its specific task?

Applicants to the 2019 Summer Academy are encouraged to present research projects that give special consideration to the connection between normativity and textuality.

Date

5 August -16 August 2019

Deadline

Applications are to be sent by 31 January 2019.

Eligilibity Requirements

• Early-stage graduates, usually PhD candidates
• Working knowledge of English is required; German is not a prerequisite

Application

Required documents for the application are a CV, a project summary (approx. 10 pages) and a letter of motivation.

Fees

There is no participation fee. Accommodation will be provided by the organisers. Participants, however, will be responsible for covering their travel expenses. There will be a limited number of scholarships available.

More information here

SUMMER ACADEMY: 2017 Max Planck Summer Academy for Legal History (Frankfurt am Main, July 25-August 4 2017)

WHAT 2017 Max Planck Summer Academy for Legal History 

WHEN July 25-August 4 2017

WHERE Max Planck Institut, Frankfurt am Main, Germany

deadline for submissions March 31, 2017

The Course

The Max-Planck Summer Academy for Legal History provides a selected group of highly motivated early-stage graduates, usually PhD candidates, an in-depth introduction to methods and principles of research in legal history.

The academy consists of two parts. The first part provides an introduction to the study of sources, methodological principles, as well as theoretical models and controversial research debates on basic research fields of legal history.

In the second part the participants discuss the special research theme and develop their own approach to the theme.

The course will take place at the Max Planck Institute for European Legal History in Frankfurt am Main, Germany.

Special Theme 2017: Conflict Regulation

Conflict is not just a constant challenge for the law, but also a key means of access to its history. Each society develops its own set of means of conflict regulation. The diversity ranges from different forms of dispute resolution and mediation to traditional juridical procedures at local and global level. The way conflicts are regulated reveals the normative options chosen by the parties involved in the conflict. Thus, conflicts and their regulation can provide an insight into local contingencies, traditions, as well as the pragmatic contexts and leading authorities of the law, the living law. Research projects to be presented at the Summer Academy should concentrate on historical mechanisms of conflict regulation and offer a critical reflection about the methods used for analyzing the conflicts and the way they are dealt with.

Eligibility Requirements

• Early-stage graduates, usually PhD candidates

• Working knowledge of English is required, German is not a prerequisite

Application

Required documents for the application are a CV, a project summary (approx. 10 pages) and a letter of motivation.

Fees

There is no participation fee. Accommodation will be provided by the organizers. Participants, however, will be responsible for covering their travel expenses. There will be a limited number of scholarships available.

For further information please visit the Max Planck Summer Academy’s website.

Contact

Max Planck Institute for European Legal History

Dr. Stefanie Rüther, e-mail: summeracademy@rg.mpg.de

NOTICE: "Max Planck Institut Summer Academy" (July 18-29, 2016)

WHAT the Max Planck Institut Summer Academy for Legal History

WHEN July 18-29, 2016

WHERE Max-Planck Institut für europäische Rechtsgeschichte, Frankfurt am Main, Germany

all information here

special theme:

Multinormativity

Deadline

Applications are to be sent by 31 March 2016

The course

The Max Planck Summer Academy for Legal History provides a selected group of highly motivated early-stage graduates, usually PhD candidates, an in-depth introduction to methods and principles of research in legal history. The academy consists of two parts. The first part provides an introduction to the study of sources, methodological principles, as well as theoretical models and controversial research debates on basic research fields of legal history. In the second part the participants discuss a special research theme and develop their own approach to the theme.
The course will take place at the Max Planck Institute for European Legal History in Frankfurt am Main, Germany.

Special theme 2016: Multinormativity

The fundamental question when addressing the topic of “law” concerns the relationship between what we call “law” and other rules, which serve behavioural control and the stabilization of expectations, but are not treated as “law”, such as moral and religious codes, but also technology and pragmatics.