Thomas Duve

Prof. Dr. Thomas Duve is a Professor of Comparative Legal History at the Institute for Legal History, Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, and a Director at the Max Planck Institute for Legal History and Legal Theory. His work bridges legal history, global history, and comparative law, focusing on normative knowledge in Iberian empires and colonial contexts.

• Education: Studied in Heidelberg, Buenos Aires, and Munich; Habilitation in 2005 (Private Law, Church Law, Historical Comparative Law).
• Research Interests: Global legal history, production of normative knowledge, Iberian colonial law, religious-secular normative interplay, and legal pluralism. He emphasizes methodological innovation, prioritizing processes over results.
• Projects: Leads initiatives like The School of Salamanca (global knowledge production), Mapping Conflicts (Africa), and Glocalizing Normativities (early modern period).
• Publications: Co-edited The Cambridge History of Latin American Law in Global Perspective and translated key works into Portuguese and Chinese, expanding global access.
• Collaborations: Works with institutions such as Tel Aviv University, Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina (UCA), and Max Planck Partner Groups.