Max Planck Institute for Legal History and Legal Theory

What Max Planck Institute for Legal History and Legal Theory does

The Max Planck Institute for Legal History and Legal Theory is a publicly funded non-profit research institute in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, operating as an organizational unit of the Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Wissenschaften e.V. Originally founded in 1964 as the Max Planck Institute for European Legal History and recently renamed, it employs 109 staff and is structured around three director-led departments: European and Comparative Legal History (Stefan Vogenauer), Multidisciplinary Legal Theory (Marietta Auer), and Historical Normativity Regimes (Thomas Duve). Its primary outputs include the peer-reviewed open access journal Rechtsgeschichte – Legal History — published annually since 2002 in print via Klostermann Verlag and online through Open Journal Systems 3.3.0.20 — together with multiple book series, a research paper series, the MPILHLT methodology series, and the Max Planck Lecture in Legal History and Legal Theory. Supporting infrastructure includes a specialized library of 510,000 printed items, an OPAC catalogue, a Digital Library, and a Digital Humanities service unit, alongside a visiting scholars program and doctoral/postdoctoral training through the broader Max Planck Law network.

Business model and revenue mechanics: the institute does not sell commercial products or services and discloses no pricing model; its operations are sustained by public funding from the Max Planck Society (with German e.V. legal status VR 13378 B) and grant-based collaborations with partners such as Goethe University Frankfurt's Collaborative Research Centre 1095, plus strategic alliances with NLSIU Bangalore and NALSAR via the newly established Centre for Legal History of India. Distribution relies on academic channels — open access publications, scholarly events, and visiting-program residencies — rather than commercial go-to-market motions.

Name

Max Planck Institute for Legal History and Legal Theory

Legal name

Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Wissenschaften e.V.

Website

https://lhlt.mpg.de

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Max Planck Institute for Legal History and Legal Theory is a Frankfurt-based, publicly funded non-profit research institute under the Max Planck Society, employing 109 staff to conduct comparative and global legal history and legal theory across three departments, serving the worldwide academic research community through open access journals, book series, a 510,000-item library, and visiting scholar programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic Legal History Research

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Law School Research Centers & Institutes (e.g., Law & Economics, Human Rights) (EDAHAIAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Law & Legal Studies Research Universities (EDAHABAF), Law & Legal Studies Scholarly Publishing (EDAGAFAG), Research Monographs & University Press Publishing (MPAJABAJ)

Keywords

• Legal history research
• Comparative law studies
• Academic publishing services
• Legal scholarship
• Historical normativity research

Headquarters

HQ city

Frankfurt am Main

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The institute conducts comparative and global legal history and legal theory research through its three departments (European and Comparative Legal History, Historical Normativity Regimes, and Multidisciplinary Legal Theory). It disseminates findings via the peer-reviewed Open Access journal Rechtsgeschichte – Legal History, multiple scholarly book series, a research paper series, and a specialised library of 510,000 printed items plus digital collections. It also hosts visiting scholars, an annual lecture series, and academic events.

Product overview

The Max Planck Institute for Legal History and Legal Theory operates primarily as a research institution offering scholarly publications and library services rather than a traditional tech product. Its main offerings include the peer-reviewed journal Rechtsgeschichte – Legal History (Rg), published annually via Open Journal Systems (OJS) in Open Access, along with multiple book series (Global Perspectives on Legal History, Studien zur europäischen Rechtsgeschichte, Studien zur Rechtstheorie, and others). The institute also provides access to its specialized library holdings of 510,000+ items through an OPAC system and digital library services. Additional offerings include a visitors' programme for scholars and the Max Planck Lecture series.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Rechtsgeschichte – Legal History: Peer-reviewed academic journal published by the institute since 2002, covering legal history research on Europe, Common Law worlds, and Iberian monarchies
• MPILHLT Research Paper Series
• Max Planck Studies in Global Legal History of the Iberian Worlds
• methodica - Einführungen in die rechtshistorische Forschung

Products and services

• Rechtsgeschichte – Legal History (Rg) Flagship peer-reviewed journal published annually in Open Access (via Open Journal Systems) and in print by Klostermann Verlag, covering European legal history, Common Law worlds, and Iberian monarchies. Includes thematic foci, debate sections, research articles, and reviews in multiple languages.
• MPILHLT Research Paper Series Working papers and preliminary research findings on legal history topics produced by the institute's researchers.
• Global Perspectives on Legal History (GPLH) Scholarly book series examining legal history from global and transregional perspectives.
• Studien zur europäischen Rechtsgeschichte Scholarly book series focused on European legal history studies.
• Studien zur Rechtstheorie Scholarly book series on legal theory studies.
• Studien zu Policey, Kriminalitätsgeschichte und Konfliktregulierung Scholarly book series on policing, criminal history, and conflict regulation studies.
• Max Planck Studies in Global Legal History of the Iberian Worlds Scholarly book series on global legal history focused on Iberian colonial worlds.
• methodica – Einführungen in die rechtshistorische Forschung Methodology series introducing legal historical research methods.
• Salamanca Publications Publication series related to Salamanca and early modern Spanish legal scholarship.
• Online Library Catalogue (OPAC) Online public access catalogue providing access to the library's 510,000 printed items and electronic resources for researchers, visiting scholars, and partner institutions.
• Digital Library Digital collections and electronic resources provided by the institute's library, supplementing its physical holdings.
• Visitors' Programme Programme hosting visiting researchers, scholars, and guest lecturers at the institute for short- and long-term research stays.
• Max Planck Lecture in Legal History and Legal Theory Annual lecture series featuring prominent scholars presenting research in legal history and legal theory.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Goethe University Frankfurt - Collaborative Research Centre 1095coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015The project 'Knowledge of the pragmatici' was conducted as part of the Collaborative Research Centre (Sonderforschungsbereich) 1095 at Goethe University, bearing the title 'Discourses of Weakness and Resource Regimes'. The project examined how Iberian monarchies used normative literature to regulate codes of conduct in Spanish America during the 16th to mid-17th centuries.
• Centre for Legal History of India (CLHI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Centre for Legal History of India, led by Reeju Ray within Department Stefan Vogenauer, cooperates with leading Indian law faculties NLSIU Bangalore and NALSAR. It aims to establish a research network connecting Frankfurt with scholars across India. The centre's thesis is that Indian law is not a footnote to European legal history but has its own history deserving dedicated research.
• NLSIU Bangalore (National Law School of India University)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation partner for the Centre for Legal History of India. Leading Indian law faculty involved in collaborative research network for Indian legal history.
• NALSAR (National Academy of Legal Studies and Research)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation partner for the Centre for Legal History of India. Leading Indian law faculty involved in collaborative research network for Indian legal history.
• Max Planck LawcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMax Planck Law is described as one of the world's largest networks for doctoral and postdoctoral research in law. The institute participates in this network for career development and research collaboration among Max Planck law institutes.
• Universitätsbibliothek Frankfurt (University Library Frankfurt)coreTechnology or IntegrationThe university's library hosts and co-publishes the journal Rechtsgeschichte – Legal History, providing infrastructure for the Open Access publishing platform.
• Klostermann VerlagcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe journal Rechtsgeschichte – Legal History is published in print form by Klostermann Verlag since 2002. Current and back issues are available through the publisher or book trade.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Max Planck Institute for Procedural Law: Another Max Planck Law institute in Luxembourg focused on procedural law research. Comparable as a sibling Max Planck legal-research institute with the same non-profit academic publishing model and shared Max Planck Law training infrastructure.
• Ius Commune Research School: Maastricht-based research school focused on private and criminal law history in the ius commune tradition. Comparable because its research focus on European legal history and common-law traditions directly overlaps the MPI's historical-normativity and comparative-legal-history research.
• Robbins Collection (UC Berkeley School of Law): Specialized collection and research center at UC Berkeley focused on law, history, and religion with a major library. Comparable because it combines a specialist legal-history library with scholarly publishing, fellowships, and a global research mission similar to the MPI's library-plus-publication model.
• Max Planck Institute for Comparative and International Private Law: Sister Max Planck institute in Hamburg focused on comparative and international private law. Most comparable because it is part of the same Max Planck Law network, shares the same governance model, and pursues parallel academic-research and publication missions in adjacent legal subfields.
• Institute of European and Comparative Law (Oxford): University of Oxford institute conducting comparative legal research. Comparable because it pursues academic research, conferences, and publications on European and comparative law from a leading university setting, directly overlapping with the MPI's research scope.
• Max Planck Institute for Tax Law and Public Finance: Max Planck institute in Munich conducting academic research in tax law and public finance. Closely comparable as a fellow Max Planck legal-research institute with parallel publication series, visiting-scholar programmes, and Open Access publishing practices.
• British Institute of International and Comparative Law: London-based non-profit institute conducting scholarly research and publishing on international and comparative law. Comparable as an academic-research institution producing comparable scholarly outputs, events, and publications on legal history and comparative law.
• Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition: Max Planck institute in Munich focused on IP, innovation, and competition law. Comparable as a peer Max Planck legal-research institute pursuing scholarly publication, doctoral training, and international research collaboration in law.

Emerging players

• Institut für Deutsche und Rheinische Rechtsgeschichte (Universität Bonn): University institute at Bonn focused on German and Rhineland legal history. Comparable as a German academic legal-history research group producing scholarly publications and offering doctoral training, though narrower in regional scope than the MPI's global research agenda.
• Institut für Rechtsgeschichte (Universität Münster): University institute at Münster conducting research and teaching in legal history. Comparable because it operates in the same German academic-research environment and publishes in adjacent areas of legal history, but is smaller and university-based rather than independent.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mpilhlt
• Facebookfacebook.com/mpilhlt
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mpilhlt

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Max Planck Institute for Legal History and Legal Theory