RCSL has lost one of its most dedicated and active members, Volkmar Gessner. His name is closely con-nected to RCSL’s partnership with the International Institute for the Sociology of Law, Onati. Volkmar Gessner also served as Secretary of RCSL. From 2003 to 2005, he was director of the Onati institute. In Germany, he contributed to organizing sociologists of law. For many years, Volkmar Gessner held a Professor-ship at Bremen University, Germany and he added more leading functions in academia. Among his many publications is his Habilitationsschrift – part of a second doctorate required for Professorship in Ger-many – in which he famously describes the “si señor-effect”: Mexican locals met the European researcher’s questions with an unexpected, stereotypical answer. Whereas conflict and dispute resolution seem his main research areas in earlier years, Volkmar Gessner later turned to phenomena of globalization and transnational law. Here again, he acted as an inspiring organizer of research with a keen interest in supporting the work of colleagues. Volkmar Gessner’s contributions to sociology of law were honoured with the Adam Podgòrecki Prize 2013.
Stefan Machura
(Source: RCSL Newsletter Fall 2014)
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This page last updated 24 November 2014
RCSL has lost one of its most dedicated and active members, Volkmar Gessner. His name is closely con-nected to RCSL’s partnership with the International Institute for the Sociology of Law, Onati. Volkmar Gessner also served as Secretary of RCSL. From 2003 to 2005, he was director of the Onati institute. In Germany, he contributed to organizing sociologists of law. For many years, Volkmar Gessner held a Professor-ship at Bremen University, Germany and he added more leading functions in academia. Among his many publications is his Habilitationsschrift – part of a second doctorate required for Professorship in Ger-many – in which he famously describes the “si señor-effect”: Mexican locals met the European researcher’s questions with an unexpected, stereotypical answer. Whereas conflict and dispute resolution seem his main research areas in earlier years, Volkmar Gessner later turned to phenomena of globalization and transnational law. Here again, he acted as an inspiring organizer of research with a keen interest in supporting the work of colleagues. Volkmar Gessner’s contributions to sociology of law were honoured with the Adam Podgòrecki Prize 2013.
Stefan Machura
(Source: RCSL Newsletter Fall 2014)