Norbert Oberauer

Norbert Oberauer is a Professor of Islamic Studies (W2) at the University of Münster since 2010. He leads projects in the Cluster of Excellence, including B3-19 (Islamic Commercial Law between Religion and Economy) and B3-8 (Speculation, Contract and Religion). His academic career includes roles at the University of Bayreuth and research stays in Aleppo (Syria) and Gaza. He holds a PhD from the University of Freiburg (2002) and the venia legendi in Islamic Studies (2009).

Education: MA and PhD in Islamic Studies from the University of Freiburg. Early studies included History, German, and English. His career path includes internships at UNRWA Headquarters in Gaza and collaborative research at the Institute for the History of Arabic Sciences in Aleppo.

Research focuses on Islamic Law, Contract Law, Waqf (Islamic endowments), and legal-historical studies. His work explores legal pluralism in Muslim contexts, colonial impacts on Islamic practices, and the interplay between religious norms and economic systems. Notable publications include Islamisches Wirtschafts- und Vertragsrecht (2021) and studies on waqf in Zanzibar under colonial rule.

Scientific awards include the 2009 venia legendi. He supervises doctoral and postdoctoral research, including Sehra El-Khodary and Nefeli Papoutsakis. Active in academic societies such as the International Society for Islamic Legal Studies (ISILS) and the Deutsche Morgenländische Gesellschaft.

His research projects address themes like norm creation in Islamic law and the role of documents in Islamic court procedures. He contributes to interdisciplinary dialogues on legal pluralism and modern Islamic legal discourse.