Have you ever wondered where the study of law began in Greifswald? Here at the Fachbereich Rechtswissenschaften, the Faculty of Law, its roots stretch back centuries. Its story is one of resilience and revival. The Fachbereich Rechtswissenschaften has overcome closures and changes to become what it is today.
The University of Greifswald was founded in 1456. A Faculty of Law, a Juristische Fakultät, was part of the original university. Heinrich Rubenow, the founder himself, was one of its first professors. For 80 years, it stood as an independent faculty. It thrived through periods of Pomeranian rule, Swedish control for 170 years, and 130 years under Prussian administration. Despite historical ups and downs, it became a leading faculty in Germany and the Baltic Sea region.
The Fachbereich Rechtswissenschaften boasted many famous scholars. Johann Oldendorp, David Mevius, and Georg Beseler were among them. Bernhard Windscheid, Ernst Immanuel Bekker, and Julius Baron also taught here. Philipp Heck, Rudolf Smend, Carl Schmitt, Gerhard Leibholz, Hermann Jahrreiss, Josef Esser, and Karl Peters are other notable names.
In 1914, the Juristische Fakultät expanded. An economics department was added. It became the Rechts und Staatswissenschaftliche Fakultät. This translates to the Faculty of Law and Political Science. However, the Soviet Military Administration closed the faculty at the end of the winter semester in 1945/46.
After being closed for four and a half decades, the faculty was revived. In June 1990, the Senate of the Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-Universität Greifswald decided to reestablish the faculty. It returned to its pre-1946 form. Members of the Greifswald University and representatives from the University of Osnabrück played key roles in its reconstruction. Teaching in law and business administration began on February 25, 1991.
The Fachbereich Rechtswissenschaften quickly reestablished itself. By October 26, 1992, it had secured its teaching program. The Aufbaukommission, the reconstruction committee, was relieved of its duties. Since then, the faculty has again been an equal member of the Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-Universität Greifswald’s academic self-government.
In the winter semester of 1993/94, the business administration program received approval. The faculty finally returned to its pre-war structure. As a unified faculty with two degree programs, it aims to promote a fruitful collaboration between law and economics.
By the winter semester of 1996/97, around 1350 students belonged to the faculty. About 230 of them studied business administration. The law program had already reached its planned final size. The first state law exams have been held regularly since the summer of 1996. A year later, the first students earned their degrees in business administration.
The Fachbereich Rechtswissenschaften aims to regain its former standing among German and European faculties. It strives to offer students a study environment. It should allow room for individual development and personal support. Partnership and cooperation are also important.
The seal of the Faculty of Law and Political Science bears witness to its history. The year of the university’s founding, 1456, and the year of the establishment of the Faculty of Law and Political Science, 1915, are shown. The inscription translates to Seal of the Order in the University of Greifswald for Legal and Political Advisors.
The Fachbereich Rechtswissenschaften celebrated 100 years of the Faculty of Law and Political Science at the University of Greifswald from 1914 to 2014. The faculty also celebrated the 25th anniversary of its reopening from 1992 to 2017. Today, the Fachbereich Rechtswissenschaften continues to shape the legal minds of tomorrow. It upholds a tradition of excellence and innovation in legal education.