Prof. Dr. Martin Schermaier
Principal Investigator
Institute for Roman Law and Comparative Legal History
Department of Law
Adenauerallee 24–42
D-53113 Bonn
Phone: +49 / (0)228 / 73 3934
martin.schermaier@uni-bonn.de

Academic Profile
Martin Schermaier focuses on the legal framework of unfree labor in late medieval theology and jurisprudence. The setting of medieval labor law consists of the Roman law texts enshrined in the Corpus Iuris of Justinian on the one hand and feudal relations on the other. Whereas unfree labor was hardly discerned from slavery in Roman times, medieval jurisprudence highlighted the contractual nature of dependent labor. Which impulse did that have on the conception of labor itself? Additionally, late medieval theology (moved by new concepts of property and contractual relations) founded a reappraisal of labor. Did that influence the legal valuation of dependent work? In his research, Martin Schermeier uncovers the ideological and legal foundations of later discussions (16th-18th cent.) on freedom and slavery and the role of unfree labor.
2 books, 78 published articles (in domestic and foreign journals and anthologies), 65 reviews, numerous commentaries and entries in lexicons. 52 international lectures and presentations, 30 supervised M.A. and 19 supervised Ph.D. theses.
1995
Habilitation and Venia legendi in Roman Law, German Civil Law and History of Private Law
1991
Doctor Iuris
1986–1991
Doctorate Studies in Law at the University of Salzburg, Austria
1985
Magister Iuris
1981–1987
Diploma Studies in Law, Political Science and Communication Studies, University of Salzburg, Austria
since 2005
Professor for Civil and Roman Law, University of Bonn, Germany
1998–2005
Professor for Civil and Roman Law, University of Muenster, Germany
1995–1998
Associate Professor, University of Salzburg, Austria
1987–1995
Research Associate at the Institute of Roman Law and History, University of Salzburg, Austria
1993–1994
Scholarship of the Humboldt-Foundation, University of Bonn, Germany
since 2009
Member of the jury of the International Roman Prize "Gérard Boulvert"
since 2006
Member of the Graduate School "Recht als Wissenschaft" ("Law as Science")
since 2005
Member of the Comitato scientifico of the Consorzio Interuniversitario "Gérard Boulvert" (Roma/Napoli)
2003–2010
Participation in the Historical-Critical Commentary on the German Civil Code (BGB)
2009–present
Co-editor of the "Zeitschrift der Savigny-Stiftung für Rechtsgeschichte"
2007–present
Ordinary member of the "Akademie der Wissenschaften und der Künste NRW", Dusseldorf, Germany
2007–present
Co-editor of the series "Schriften zur Europäischen Rechts- und Verfassungsgeschichte"
2007–present
Member of the scientific advisory board of the journal "Index. International Survey of Roman Law"
2004–present
Member of the "Académie des Privatistes Européens", Pavia, Italy
2003–present
Co-editor of the series "Forschungen zur Neueren Privatrechtsgeschichte"
- Reviewer for various domestic and foreign ministries and research institutions
- various smaller individual projects funded by
- the German Research Foundation
- the Gerda Henkel Foundation
- the German Academic Exchange Service
- 2017. “Dominus actuum suorum. Die willenstheoretische Begründung des Eigentums und das römische Recht.” Zeitschrift der Savigny-Stiftung für Rechtsgeschichte: Romanistische Abteilung 134 (1): 1–52.
- 2016. “Transplantationen und Irritationen, Evolutionen und Diffusionen. Über Bedingungen und Konsequenzen der Rezeption fremden Rechts.” In Rezeption und Rechtskulturwandel. Europäische Rechtstraditionen in Russland und Ostasien, edited by Martin Schermaier and Werner Gephart, 1–18. Frankfurt am Main: Klostermann.
- 2015. “Kaiman Sammy und Kuh Yvonne: das ʻwilde Tier’ im Begriffshimmel.” In Privat- und Wirtschaftsrecht in Europa. Festschrift für Wulf-Henning Roth zum 70. Geburtstag, edited by Thomas Ackermann and Johannes Köndgen, 489–511. Munich: C.H. Beck.
- 2015. “Staatsangehörigkeit und Rechtsteilhabe. Zu den römischen Anfängen eines Spannungsverhältnisses.” In Imperium, Staat, Civitas. Ein kritischer Beitrag zum postmodernen Konzept der Macht/Imperium, Stato, Civitas. Contributo Critico alla Concezione Postmoderna del Potere, edited by Emanuela Calore and Roberta Marini, 182–208. Stuttgart: Franz Steiner Verlag.
- 2014. “From Non-Performance to Mistake in Contracts. The Rise of the Classical Doctrine of Consensus.” In Nova Ratione. Changes of Paradigms in Roman Law, edited by Adriaan J.B. Sirks, 107–132. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz.
- 2013. “Borrowed Plumes and Robbed Freedmen. Some Aspects of Plagiarism in Roman Antiquity.” In Judge and Jurist. Essays in Memory of Lord Rodger of Earlsferry, edited by Andrew Burrows, David Johnston, and Reinhard Zimmermann, 237–249. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- 2012. “Private Rechte an res communes?” In Carmina Iuris. Mélanges en l’Honneur de Michel Humbert, edited by Emmanuelle Chevreau, David Kremer, and Aude Laquerrière-Lacroix, 773–792. Paris: De Boccard.
- 2009. “Res Communes Omnium. The History of an Idea from Greek Philosophy to Grotian Jurisprudence.” Grotiana 30(1): 20–48.
- 2000. Die Bestimmung des wesentlichen Irrtums von den Glossatoren bis zum BGB. Forschung zur neueren Privatrechtsgeschichte 29. Vienna: Böhlau.
- 1992. Materia. Beiträge zur Frage der Naturphilosophie im klassischen römischen Recht. Forschungen zum römischen Recht 39. Vienna: Böhlau.