Hermann Kantorowicz

Hermann Kantorowicz (1877–1940) was a full Professor of Criminal Law at the Faculty of Law of Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel from 1929 until his dismissal by the Nazi regime in 1933. His academic career spanned legal theory, medieval legal history, and the Free Law Movement. He is renowned for works like The Struggle for Jurisprudence (1906), advocating for 'free law' beyond rigid legal positivism, and Deed and Guilt (1933), redefining criminal liability theory. His research also included legal history, notably studies on medieval Roman law glossators. Despite his academic prominence, his Jewish heritage and political activism led to his expulsion under Nazi policies. Post-1933, he emigrated to England and the U.S., continuing his work on medieval law and influencing legal thought globally. His legacy includes the Hermann-Kantorowicz-Institut at Kiel, established in 2012.

Key contributions: Pioneered Free Law Movement; authored foundational texts on legal theory and medieval jurisprudence; critiqued legal positivism; analyzed war guilt in WWI; mediated between continental and common law traditions. His interdisciplinary approach bridged legal philosophy and historical scholarship.