The Institute was founded in Berlin in 1926 under the aegis of the Kaiser Wilhelm Society for the Advancement of Science, into whose exclusive sponsorship it passed in 1938. Its mission was to complete foundational research in the field of comparative private law and the law relating to cross-border transactions. Initially, the primary aims of the Institute were to facilitate the administration of the First World War’s private law consequences, to support international commerce with information on foreign law and to foster a comparative law dialogue between German jurisprudence and foreign nations.  Ernst Rabel (1874 - 1955), one of the most significant jurists of the last century, became the first Institute director.  [more]

• Last update: 30 Jun. 2011
• Top