Handbook of Constitutional Law

• Applicants: Professor Dr. Uwe Kischel; Professor Dr. Hanno Kube
• Subject Area: Public Law
• Term: since 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 509554324

This research project aims at a new Handbook of Constitutional Law in 12 volumes, which – in spite of its historically inspired title – is not a handbook but the central and fundamental scientific endeavor of German constitutional scholarship, and the collaborative effort of the entire discipline. The newly conceptualized Handbook fulfills key functions not only within German constitutional law scholarship, but also in contact with other legal disciplines, with other fields of social sciences and humanities – such as political science, history, philosophy, sociology –, and in contact with the European and international academic community. It constitutes the common point of reference and central integrating factor for the multi-fragmented German constitutional law community, it accurately reflects the many tendencies within that community and it aims at further developing constitutional law. Throughout, the Handbook is focused on internationalization and Europeanization of German constitutional law; it takes clear account of the varied interactions with foreign constitutional orders in the world as well as with European law, and of all interdisciplinary links. The Handbook is focused on meeting the new normative and societal challenges, taking responsibility for law and State. It rebalances the relation between renewal and preservation while accompanying and guiding change. It offers innovative and future-oriented solutions on a fundamental level, beyond the small-scale endeavors of everyday legal work, and is thus aimed towards scholarship and practice in Germany as well as abroad. The Handbook is conceptualized to be a driving force and a source of inspiration on the scholarly level as well as in the application of law and in politics.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants