European Legal Studies Institute: Fachbereich Rechtswissenschaften

Welcome

to the website of the European Legal Studies Institute (ELSI)! The professors working at the Institute, Prof. Dr Christoph Busch, Prof. Dr Oliver Dörr, Prof. Dr Thomas Groß, Prof. Dr Mary-Rose McGuire, Prof. Dr Hans Schulte-Nölke, Prof. Dr Sören Segger-Piening and Prof. Dr Fryderyk Zoll, are delighted that you are interested in their work. On this website you will find more about the Institute's publications, events, its research library and its co-operation partners. You can get also information about the professors' teaching, particularly in the specialisation areas, SPB 1, SPA 3, SPB 4 and SPB 5. International guests can find out about the institute and receive tips for a research stay at the ELSI.

News

Christian von Bar Price-2025

The winner of the Christian von Bar Prize 2025 is Nine Riis, University of Copenhagen. She receives the prize for her dissertation entitled "Defective Data? A comparative analysis of quality and usability obligations in B2B data contracts". The award ceremony will take place on 12.11.2025 at 17:30 in the European Legal Studies Institute in lecture hall E03. Afterwards, as part of the ELSI Lectures series, Professor Bea Verschraegen will give a lecture at 18:30 on the topic "AI & Copyright. An International Perspective". We look forward to welcoming many guests!

Program (PDF, 1.95 MB)

Two Lectures held by Professor Dr. Dr. h.c. mult. Christian von Bar

In two lectures designed primarily for foreign students (3.12.2025 and 14.1.2026, each from 16h s.t. to 17.30h in the European Legal Studies Institute, lecture hall 44/E04), basic questions of non-contractual liability law (3.12.) and property law (14.1.) of the Member States of the European Union will be discussed from a comparative law perspective. In these two lectures, Professor von Bar will draw on two of his research projects on European Tort Law and European Property Law.

Osnabrück delegation at the GJZ conference

The annual conference of the Gesellschaft junge Zivilrechtswissenschaft (GJZ) took place at EBS Law School this year under the overarching theme of "Blind Spots in Civil Law".

A large number of young academics from our schools were also present and covered a wide range of topics in six brilliant lightning talks by Patricia Kainka, Leo Kohz, Colin Partington, Philip Steitz, Tabea Stolte and Geelke Wemjes, among others: from pandect science to rainbow families and digital law.

After the GJZ is before the GJZ: we are now looking forward to the next annual conference, which will be held at Osnabrück University from September 23-26, 2026 for the first time since 2009. Save the date!

Welcome to the Master of European Technology Law!

AI, Autonomous Robots, AR, Big Data, Digital Twins and the Internet of Things challenge the legal system just as much as the legal system influences how innovative ideas must be designed, tested and launched to succeed in the market. Understanding both legal and technological terminology and concepts is key to turning technical innovation into reality.

Join us for the Kick off Event on October 22, 2025, 6 P.M.
European Legal Studies Institute, lecture hall E03

"AI, Robotics & the EU Data Act"
Speaker: Tobias Lange, LL.M. (UNSW)
Head of Legal Regulatory, Privacy & Legal Europe, Intrinsic, an Alphabet Company

Osnabrück Insolvency Law Day 2025

The conference of the Institute for Insolvency Law and Restructuring in Weser-Ems and Bremen e.V. will take place on 26.09.2025 from 8:00 a.m. at the European Legal Studies Institute (ELSI) of Osnabrück University. Attorney Christopher Tallen and attorney and notary Maike Tallen as organizers cordially invite you to attend.

Professor Dr. Mary-Rose McGuire (Managing Director of the European Legal Studies Institute) and Uwe Goebel (President of the Osnabrück - Emsland - Grafschaft Bentheim Chamber of Industry and Commerce) have assumed the patronage.

The conference program (PDF, 61 kB) includes interesting topics and top-class speakers.

Prof. Dr. Mary-Rose McGuire, Prof. Dr. Susanne Menzel-Riedl, Prof. Dr. Oksana Desyatnyuk, Prof. Dr. Hans Schulte-Nölke, Prof. Dr. Uliana Koruts (from left to rights)

Honorary doctorate for Professor Dr. Schulte-Nölke

On 16.05.2025, Professor Dr. Oksana Desyatnyuk, Rector, and Professor Dr. Uliana Koruts, Vice-Rector for Research and Academic Affairs, awarded Professor Dr. Hans Schulte-Nölke an honorary doctorate from the West Ukrainian National University of Ternopil.

The ceremony was preceded by a "Spring School" and a conference by and with academics from Ternopoil and the ELSI under the overarching theme "Why does the EU matter?".
During the ceremony, the Managing Director of the ELSI, the Rector of the University of Ternopil, the Dean of the local School of Law and the President of Osnabrück University gave welcoming addresses, Professor Dr. Hanna Poperechna gave a lecture on the revision of Ukrainian contract law and Professor Dr. Fryderyk Zoll spoke about the protection of democracy, freedom and the rule of law by the EU. To conclude the event, Professor Dr. Schulte-Nölke spoke about the responsibility of research and teaching in the fields of European legal history, European private law and comparative law.