History of the Institute for Agricultural Law

The Institute for Agricultural Law is a scientific institution of the law faculty of the University of Göttingen, tasked with researching and teaching agricultural law. It is currently the only scientific institute of its kind in Germany, which simultaneously respects the tradition of research and teaching in agricultural law while taking into account new developments in this field. The focus of its work lies on internationality and interdisciplinarity. The interdisciplinarity of the institute's work is characterized in particular by the fact that it is closely cooperating with the Faculty of Agricultural Science of the University of Göttingen. The international orientation of the institute is reflected by its comparative law analysis and its cooperation with agricultural legal experts from abroad.

The past developments up to the founding of the Institute of Agricultural Law are to be reproduced here in a brief summary to provide an overview of the structure of the institute.

• Scientific management of agricultural law at the Georg-August-University of Göttingen since 18th century
• From 1783 "Bauernrecht" as a lecture of the Faculty of Law as a novelty of teaching
• From 1806 as "Meyerrecht"
• From 1825 as "agricultural law"
• In the mid-1930s: Establishment of the "Institute for Agricultural and Economic Law" as predecessor of the "Institute for Agricultural Law"

• After 1945 continuation only under commissary direction, without special activities.
• Renaming of "Institute of Agricultural and Economic Law" to "Institute of Agricultural Law" at the request of the Faculty of Law and Political Science and therefore reestablishment. This took place on the initiative of Wolfgang Büttner, the long-standing legal advisor of the National Association of the federal state of Lower Saxony. The latter found 3 public-law credit institutions, the “Rentenbank”, “Landeskreditanstalt” and the “Landwirtschaftliche Brandkasse”, which provided funding for setting up an Institute for Agricultural Law.

• On 8 December 1961 appointment of Prof. Dr. Karl Kroeschell as its director.
• In 1962 the research assistant Günter Neumann was responsible for the ongoing affairs of the institute
• From 1962 to 1963 the ongoing affairs of the Institute were carried out by the research assistant Heinz Wöhrmann
• From 1963 to 1964 ongoing affairs were carried out by the research assistant Dr. Gerhard Kahlke
• From 1961 to 1965 the ongoing affairs were carried out by the research assistant Mr. Wolfgang Bischoff
• From 1965 to 2003 the ongoing affairs were carried out by the research assistant Dr. Wolfgang Winkler

• Withdrawal of the “Landwirtschaftliche Brandkasse” from the circle of the sponsors
• “Deutsche Genossenschaftsbank” enters the circle of sponsors
• In the winter semester 1975/76 leaving of Prof. Dr. Kroeschell following a call to the University of Freiburg
• Successor as director of the Institute Prof. Dr. Volkmar Götz
• In the year 1982, Prof. Dr. Harry Ebersbach enters the institute
• In the year 1986, Prof. Dr. Dietrich Murswiek enters the Institute
• In 1990 leaving of Prof. Dr. Dietrich Murswiek, following a call to the University of Freiburg

• In the year 2002 admission of Prof. Dr. Barbara Veit
• “Landeskreditanstalt Hannover“ transforms into „Norddeutsche Landesbank“. The „Norddeutsche Landesbank“ continues to support the institution until the year 2003.
• In 2003 retirement of Prof. Dr. Götz
• From 2003 to 2009  the ongoing affairs of the institute are carried out by the PD Dr. Ines Härtel
• In 2004 Prof. Dr. Christian Calliess becomes a member of the institute's directorate.
• In 2008 departure of Prof. Dr. Christian Calliess, following a call to the Freie Universität Berlin
• In the year 2009 admission of Prof. Dr. Frank Schorkopf.
• Since 2009, the institute's ongoing affairs have been carried out by Prof. Dr. José Martinez
• In 2010, additional members of the Board of Directors, Prof. Dr. Gerald Spindler and Prof. Dr. Peter-Tobias Stoll are assigned to the institute.

• At the request of the institute’s management in 2009, the “Landwirtschaftliche Rentenbank” granted funding for an endowed chair for agricultural law. The holder of this professorship should be a member of the Faculty of Law with full teaching and committee responsibilities and be assigned to the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences through a secondary membership. Teaching duties would be realized in both the Faculty of Law and the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences. His research activities would be directed towards agricultural law. If the funding is terminated by the “Landwirtschaftliche Rentenbank”, the Faculty of Law and the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences will each provide half of the financial resources for the professorship of agricultural law.
• The creation of an agricultural professorship should make it possible to place the Institute of Agricultural Law on a secure foundation and thus continue to pursue research and teaching in the area of agricultural law.
• On December 2nd 2010 the cooperation agreement between the University of Göttingen and the “Landwirtschaftliche Rentenbank” regarding the endowed chair in agricultural law was signed
• August 4, 2011 appointment of PD Dr. José Martínez, in agreement with the Faculty of Law, the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and the “Landwirtschaftliche Rentenbank”, as endowed chair
• February 20, 2012 appointment of PD Dr. José Martínez as a professor
• In 2012 Prof. Dr. Frank Schorkopf leaves the institute
• In 2016, Prof. Dr. Thomas Mann joins the institute

• In 2016, move of the institute from the Juridicum to the MZG (Blauer Turm)
• In 2018, move of the library from the Juridicum and the SUB to the MZG (Blauer Turm)