Roman Law
European Legal History
European Private Law and
Comparative Law
On the weekend of August 17 and 18, 2024, the chair team went on a trip to Leiden, the home town of Prof. Elsemieke Daalder. After arriving, the team first fortified themselves with lunch at the Leidse Markt, which is in no way inferior to the market in Münster!
Afterwards, the team had the special honor of meeting Prof. em. Willem Zwalve, the PhD supervisor of Prof. Daalder and former professor at the Universiteit Leiden, and his wife Titia Zwalve. Prof. Zwalve led the team on an extraordinary legal-historical discovery tour through Leiden. Did you know that two gates in the city center, one of which is still known today as the Burgpoort, once enclosed a so-called lawless space in front of the Leiden castle ruins? At the time, this space served as a refuge for people who wanted to escape law enforcement. Another remnant from the Middle Ages are the two red crossed keys that adorn many bridges and gates in Leiden. These symbolize the apostle Peter, the patron saint of the city, who is said to have the “keys to the kingdom of heaven”.
The team rounded off the informative and eventful day with a delicious barbecue, followed by a pub crawl through the city.
Sunday began with a visit to the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden, an archaeological museum that presents numerous relics from Roman antiquity, particularly from the Classical period. The team deepened their understanding of the influence of the Roman Empire on the Netherlands and learned a lot about Roman society at the time. Afterwards, the group explored the city on a relaxed boat tour through the canals and ended the day in a pleasant atmosphere.
Dankjewel for this unforgettable time! (some impressions in the feuilleton).
Lectures
Course
On Wednesday 12 June and Thursday 13 June, the annual meeting of the Dutch Young Romanists took place at the University of Münster. At the young Romanist Days, PhD students in the field of legal history have the chance to present and discuss their research amongst each other, without the critical eye of their Doktorvater or -Mutter present. A diverse range of topics was discussed, from classical Roman law to the reception history, from public to private law and the always intriguing twilight zone in between.
Four PhD-students held a presentation on an aspect of their thesis. Maarten Klink, PhD candidate at the Radboud University Nijmegen, talked about how the Roman concept of praescriptio played a role in the power struggle between the pope and worldly leaders. Eva Drommel, PhD candidate at Leiden University, discussed the concurrence of actions out of the private law-oriented lex Aquilia, and the criminal lex Cornelia de sicariis et veneficiis, a first-century law by Sulla aimed at tackling gangster-practices in ancient Rome. Ward Strengers, PhD candidate at the University of Münster, evaluated the priority of the general pledge of the Roman fiscus, by way of an exegesis of D. 20,4,21 pr. Lastly, Willem Rijnenberg, PhD candidate at the Radboud University Nijmegen, took the participants along a tour of the workings and implications of the pactum de distrahendo pignore, in a comparison between Roman and French law.
After the presentations, the young academics gathered for drinks in the Rechtshistorische Bibliothek. The young Romanists Days were concluded with a dinner together, followed by a city tour, a boat trip along the Aasee and a visit to the Freilichtmuseum Mühlenhof on Thursday. Further insights in the Feuilleton.
Outside these times, please send general inquiries by email to: fscholz@uni-muenster.de