Historical dissertation reveals secrets of legal science!

Historical dissertation reveals secrets of legal science!

Amadou Korbinian Sow has successfully completed his doctoral process at the Bucerius Law School, which was supported by the German National Academic Foundation. His dissertation is entitled “The emergence, content and reception of Hermann Kantorowicz's work 'Battle for Legal Science'” and deals in detail with the complex aspects of this important legal work, which was published in 1906. The work is based on extensive source studies, with the central archival materials being a handwritten manuscript and an annotated copy of the printed book from Kantorowicz’s exile library.

Sow pursued an interdisciplinary approach in his dissertation and used methods from historical studies and modern editing sciences. The doctorate was supervised by Prof. Dr. Christian Bumke, while the second report from Prof. Dr. Benjamin Lahusen comes from the European University Viadrina in Frankfurt (Oder). In their evaluation, both reviewers concluded that the work should be classified “summa cum laude”.

Focus on materiality and text genetic perspectives

During the disputation, Sow placed particular emphasis on the materiality of his sources. He particularly addressed the text-genetic perspective and its values ​​for Kantorowicz research and legal history. The examination committee consisted of the assessors and Prof. Dr. Matthias Jacobs as chairman.

Sow studied law at Bucerius Law School and Brasenose College, Oxford University. He was also a research assistant to Prof. Dr. Christian Bumke and Prof. Dr. Christian Becker. In 2019 he completed a visiting fellowship at the Institute for Legal Fundamentals – lucernaiuris at the University of Lucerne.

In addition to his academic career, Sow also gained practical experience in the legal field. He passed his second state examination in November 2024 after a traineeship at the Berlin Court of Appeal. The stations of his legal clerkship include the Federal Ministry of Justice in the Fundamental Rights Department and the international law firm White & Case LLP in the area of ​​public law.

The legacy of Hermann Kantorowicz

The work of Hermann Kantorowicz, which Sow analyzed in detail in his dissertation, has left an important mark on legal scholarship. Kantorowicz, who was one of the most influential lawyers of his time, is often praised for his interdisciplinary approach to law. This tradition is also continued by current scholars such as Ino Augsberg, who teaches at the Christian Albrechts University in Kiel, as well as Saskia Lettmaier and Rudolf Meyer-Pritzl, both of whom are involved in research on legal history and legal philosophy.

The reception of Kantorowicz's work is also documented in various specialist journals. There are reviews in the “Revue Hellenique des Droits de l’homme” and in the “Journal of the Savigny Foundation for Legal History”, both of which shed light on the lasting legacy of his work. The numerous essays and publications that reference Kantorowicz attest to his enduring influence on legal scholarship.

Overall, Amadou Korbinian Sow's successful doctoral work marks a significant contribution to the research and appreciation of one of the most important legal works of the 20th century. It shows not only the relevance of Kantorowicz for the present, but also the importance of interdisciplinary approaches in modern legal scholarship.

For further information about Sow and his work, please visit the website law-school.de, amazon.de and mohrsiebeck.com.