Abstract from the editors

Who needs history? The debate as to whether and how we should include fundamentals-based teaching such as sociology, philosophy or history into German law students curricula continues.

In this article, Michael Stolleis takes the example of legal history to analyse the importance of these fundamentals-based courses. He demonstrates the current difficult state of teaching in this field, but lays out the means by which studying the history of law strengthens the ability to critically analyse problems. The article calls for a reform of the current German law school curriculum - away from the ever growing fields of positive law and towards a refocus on the basics.

• 1. Zur kritischen Funktion der Grundlagenfächer
• 2. Geschichte der Rechtsgeschichte
• 3. Grundlagenfächer als Verlierer des massenuniversitären Lehrplans
• 4. Ökonomische Determinanten
• 5. Plädoyer für eine Rückbesinnung auf die Grundlagenfächer in den Lehrplänen
• 6. Zugewinn für die internationale Attraktivität der deutschen Juristenausbildung
• 7. Komplementäres Verhältnis von Praxis- und Universitätsausbildung