Externally Funded Projects

The project, in collaboration with Prof. Dr. Mareike Schmidt (Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology, Halle (Saale)) and Prof. Dr. Angela Schwerdtfeger (Georg August University of Göttingen), examines how descriptions of reality from other disciplines are methodically processed in law. Two fundamental and complex changes in reality, namely digital transformation and climate change, serve as contrasting analytical foils for the investigation. A comparative analysis of the legal handling of these transformation processes is intended, on the one hand, to identify overarching methodological approaches that go beyond a field-specific special dogmatics for the inclusion of complex and divergent knowledge bases from other disciplines.

On the other hand, the comparison is intended to raise awareness of specific issues, particularly the media transformation of the application of law itself through legal tech and legislative processes in view of uncertain (causal) relationships in measures to reduce greenhouse gases. In addition, the digital transformation primarily brings about a change in law through changes in the subject areas and the media framework conditions, while climate change requires social change through law. Based on a cross-disciplinary analysis of the methodological approach to these challenges, impulses for dogmatic methodology and its rational approach to structural social change are to be developed.

Building on a description of the transformation of reality, three methodological dimensions are analyzed: legal dogmatics, the methodology of law application, and legislative theory. These are supplemented by teaching concepts that address the resulting need for change in legal studies.

More information on the Volkswagen Foundation's funding line can be found here.

Fellowships for the year 2026 are being advertised in the project: Call for Applications.

Project term (2023-2027)

The discussion of a digital euro is part of an ongoing trend towards digitalisation within the financial system. Albeit decisions on the implementation let alone the details of the design are not yet final, it is expected that a digital euro will eventually be introduced, providing a public payment infrastructure while simultaneously serving as a means of payment within the existing, oligopolistic market for digital payment services.

To accompany this development an interdisciplinary project group at the Centre Responsible Digitality (ZEVEDI) has formed. The group is dedicated to fill a critical gap in the ongoing discussion and focuses on normative dimensions in crucial areas like access to financial infrastructure, the balance of power in digital payment transactions and the potential risks to Europe's monetary sovereignty.

Professor Dr Roland Broemel contributes to the project as Principal Investigator, conducting research with his team on issues of data sovereignty and the democratic legitimacy of regulatory design.

So far, the project was perceived with wide interest. Partnerships with Deutsche Bundesbank, G+D and the Digital Euro Association have been established. The overall ZEVEDI network is further supported by the Hessian Ministry of Digitalisation.

More information: https://zevedi.de/en/topics/dino/