The "Formation of normative orders" excellence cluster

Cooperating partner: Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main

The Max Planck Institute for European Legal History is involved in four projects integrated into the "Formation of normative orders" excellence cluster 243 sponsored by the German Research Foundation (DFG).

1 Das Völkerrecht und seine Wissenschaft
headed by PD Dr. Miloš Vec
Project start date: 01.04.2008

2 Regulated self-regulation from a legal historian's perspective
headed by PD Dr. Peter Collin
Project start date: 01.08.2008

3 Rechtstransfer Südosteuropa
headed by Dr. Jani Kirov
Project start date: 01.01.2010

4 The Emergence and Transformation of Foreign Policy
at the institute headed by PD Dr. Miloš Vec
Project start date: 01.01.2009

The Frankfurt excellence cluster EXC 243 devoted to the "Formation of normative orders" combines university and non-university institutions in the Rhine-Main science region. In addition to the MPIeR, the external participants include the Peace Research Institute Frankfurt and a research group at TU Darmstadt. The speakers for the cluster are philosopher of law Professor Klaus Günther and social philosopher Professor Rainer Forst.

Through the medium of this large-scale interdisciplinary project, the goal is to juxtapose current issues of globalization with a historical dimension. In the words of the university: "The scientists participating in the excellence cluster are examining the reasons for the rapid and conflict-prone changes that are taking place in social orders – from the issue of a fair and just global economic order among the countries of the northern and southern hemispheres to the worldwide assertion of human rights, and from the transformation of authoritarian regimes into democratic states governed by the rule of law to the establishment of world peace. An important role is played by the diverse and often contrary convictions among the parties concerned as to what constitutes a just order and their perceived justifications. In the complex web of economic, cultural, political and religious causes of national and international conflicts, these convictions and justifications are often both the trigger and the driving force."