About
Prof. Dr. Volker Haas is a full Professor of Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure Law at the Institute for German, European and International Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure Law, Faculty of Law, Heidelberg University. He has held this chair since 2010 and was promoted to university professor in 2011. His work encompasses both theoretical and practical aspects of criminal justice, and he also maintains an active practice as a criminal defense attorney in cooperation with the law firm Gönnheimer and Zander in Mannheim.
Haas studied philosophy and law in Saarbrücken and Tübingen, passing his first state examination in Baden-Württemberg in 1992. His academic journey included research assistant positions at the University of Tübingen and the University of Göttingen. He received his doctorate in 2001 with a dissertation on "Causality and Violation of Law" and completed his habilitation in 2006 on "Concept of punishment, understanding of the state, and process structure," which was awarded a printing subsidy from the German Research Foundation (DFG).
Haas's research focuses on fundamental aspects of criminal law theory, particularly attribution theory, participation theory, and the philosophical foundations of criminal liability. His work critically examines the relationship between legal positivism and natural law in German criminal justice. He has made significant contributions to understanding objective attribution in omission crimes, the conceptual framework of criminal acts, and the philosophical underpinnings of punishment. His scholarship often bridges historical perspectives with contemporary legal challenges, as evidenced by his extensive commentary work on German criminal code provisions.
His publication record demonstrates a consistent evolution from technical doctrinal analysis toward broader philosophical questions about criminal law's relationship to state power. Recent work addresses self-defense limitations, criminal responsibility capacity, and the philosophical bases of German criminal law, showing his deep engagement with both theoretical and practical dimensions of the field.
- Book of the Year 2009 in NJW
- Printing subsidy from the German Research Foundation (DFG)
Professor Haas leads a research team including scientific assistant Matthias Hülskamp and student assistants Niklas Jargon, Lukas Rücken, Miriam Wagner, and Theresa Zirkelbach. His chair regularly advertises research assistant positions, indicating ongoing research projects and academic supervision. The chair also hosts international visiting researchers like Yangyang Shentu from Peking University, demonstrating active international collaboration. His practical work as a criminal defense attorney complements his academic research, providing real-world insights into criminal procedure that inform his theoretical work.
The Institute for German, European and International Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure Law provides the institutional framework for Haas's work. His research group maintains active engagement with current legal developments, as evidenced by upcoming teaching offerings including Criminal Defense Colloquium and seminars on Supreme Court Jurisprudence. The chair is currently seeking to fill a research assistant position beginning April 1, 2025, and Haas is working on a major commentary on §§ 331 to 358 StPO (Criminal Procedure Code), expected to be approximately 400 pages.
