Professor Ralf Poscher is a distinguished legal scholar serving as Director at the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Crime, Security and Law in Freiburg since May 2019, and as Professor at the Faculty of Law, University of Freiburg since October 2009. He also holds an honorary professorship at the University of Freiburg since 2019. His academic career includes previous positions as Professor at Ruhr-Universität Bochum (2003-2009), Assistant Professor at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (2002), and research fellowships at prestigious institutions including the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton (2007-2008). Poscher's research focuses on constitutional law, philosophy of law, and fundamental rights, with particular emphasis on proportionality analysis, legal hermeneutics, and security law. His scholarly work demonstrates a consistent exploration of how constitutional principles are implemented in practice, especially regarding the balance between individual rights and state security interests. His recent publications reveal a growing interest in surveillance law and the measurement of state surveillance practices. His research portfolio includes significant projects such as the Periodic Surveillance Barometer for Germany, which seeks to empirically measure state surveillance practices, and FreiburgRESIST, a transdisciplinary project on urban resilience and security. His recent publications show a clear trend toward examining the practical implementation of constitutional principles in security contexts, particularly focusing on proportionality analysis as a tool for balancing fundamental rights against security needs. Humboldt Award, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (1999) Poscher leads multiple major research initiatives including the Handbook of Constitutional Law (a collaborative international project), the Periodic Surveillance Barometer for Germany, and the ZuRecht project on police in open societies. His work bridges theoretical legal scholarship with practical policy concerns, particularly in the areas of security law and constitutional implementation. He serves as co-editor for several important publication series and journals in the field of security and constitutional law. As Director of the Max Planck Institute's Department of Public Law and former Managing Director of the Centre for Security and Society at the University of Freiburg (2013-2018), Poscher leads research teams focused on the intersection of law, security, and society. His collaborative approach is evident in his numerous multi-institutional projects that bring together legal scholars, social scientists, and practitioners to address contemporary challenges in security governance and constitutional protection.






