2026 marks the Institute’s 100th anniversary. We look back at an eventful century of comparative law, from the founding of the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute in the Berlin Palace, to the wartime relocation in Tübingen, to 70 years as the Max Planck Institute for Comparative and International Private Law in Hamburg.
And we are looking ahead as well. What new questions will shape future research? What societal developments are were tracing? How can the law of the future be anticipated?

To create greater awareness about research conducted at the Institute, we are intensifying our public outreach in this anniversary year. Our aim is to generate curiosity about private law and its consequences for our daily lives. Through a variety of event formats, we invite all interested persons to learn about our topics of inquiry and to engage in conversation with us.

We look forward to a lively exchange!

Calendar

18 May 2026
Kick-off event with a lecture by Reinhard Zimmermann on the former Institute Director Ernst Heymann

26 June 2026
Annual meeting of the Alumni Association with a symposium on the history of the Institute

1–2 October 2026
Academic symposium (in English) 

2 October 2026
Ceremony and Senate reception at the Hamburg City Hall (in German)