معرفی
Reiner Schulze has been Professor of German and European Civil Law at the University of Münster since 1994 and Director of its Institute for Legal History; he concurrently served as a judge at the Higher Regional Court of Hamm (1996-2005) and as Executive Director of Münster’s Centre of European Private Law (1997-2012). Active in European scholarly governance, he was President of the European Law Faculties Association (ELFA) in 2012-13 and remains Chairman of the German section of the Association Henri Capitant.
Education & Qualifications
- 1968 – Abitur
- 1968-1973 – Law studies, Freie Universität Berlin
- 1973 – First State Examination in Law
- 1976 – Doctorate (Dr. iur.), University of Frankfurt a.M.
- 1978 – Second State Examination in Law
- 1983 – Post-doctoral degree (Habilitation)
Research Interests
Schulze’s work straddles dogmatics, history and comparative law, centring on the German and European law of obligations (contract, tort, unjust enrichment), the historical evolution of private law in Europe, and the challenges posed by digitalisation and European integration to traditional contract structures.
His recent publications analyse the impact of digital content on European contract rules, the innovative traits of the proposed Common European Sales Law (CESL), and the persistent divergences between French and German contract theories, always embedding doctrinal discussion in wider historical and cultural contexts.
Honours & Awards
- Honorary doctorate (Dr. h.c.), University of Miskolc
- Member, Real Academia de Jurisprudencia y Legislación (Académicos Honorarios)
- Member, Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei (Straniero)
- Officer, Order of Oranje Nassau (for services to German-Dutch legal relations)
Academic Leadership & Grants
While specific grant details are not listed, Schulze has continuously directed externally funded research projects at the Centre of European Private Law and the Institute for Legal History, hosting numerous international conferences and colloquia that shape the European private-law agenda.
Labs & Research Teams
He leads the Institute for Legal History at the University of Münster and is the key intellectual motor of the Centre of European Private Law, coordinating a network of doctoral researchers, post-docs and visiting scholars working on historical and comparative aspects of European private law.
