The Max Planck Institute for Legal History and Legal Theory provides a forum for reflecting on law. We explore its theory and history in a comparative and global perspective in order to address the challenges faced by society today. Our mission is to contribute to knowledge in the field of law, the humanities and social sciences with insights on law and normativity grounded in historical and theoretical reflections.

Our research horizons have been expanding since 1964. Today, we use comparative and global perspectives to question European assumptions. More than 70 researchers from different world regions work together in three Departments and two Max Planck Research Groups.