“There are Limits to European Law”

“There are Limits to European Law”

March 18, 2024
ARD podcast with Tatjana Hörnle on the EU directive to combat violence against women

At the beginning of the year, German Federal Minister of Justice Marco Buschmann opposed a draft directive in the European Commission to combat gender-based violence, which sought to standardize the law of sexual offenses, particularly the offense definition of rape.

Crimes against Humanity for Political Ends in Nicaragua

Crimes against Humanity for Political Ends in Nicaragua

March 6, 2024
Human Rights Expert Jan-Michael Simon submits new report

Serious systematic human rights violations, tantamount to crimes against humanity, continue to be perpetrated by the Nicaraguan government for political reasons. This is the conclusion of a recent report by the Group of Human Rights Experts on Nicaragua, chaired by Max Planck senior researcher Jan-Michael Simon.

Who are the Helpers in Times of Crisis?

Who are the Helpers in Times of Crisis?

March 5, 2024
Honest and humble people more willing to donate money

People who are particularly honest and humble show a greater willingness to donate money than people who score lower on these personality traits. This is suggested by a study conducted by Max Planck researchers Büşra Yelbuz and Isabel Thiel­mann. The psychologists examined donation behavior after the devastating earthquake in Syria and Turkey at the beginning of 2023.

Svenja Behrendt Appointed Junior Professor of Public Law in Mannheim

Svenja Behrendt Appointed Junior Professor of Public Law in Mannheim

March 4, 2024
Researcher also continuing postdoctoral lec­tur­ing qualification at the Max Planck Institute

Svenja Behrendt joined the University of Mann­heim’s Department of Law as a junior professor of public law in February 2024. She will continue to pursue her German postdoctoral lecturing quali­fi­ca­tion (habilitation) at the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Crime, Security and Law (MPI-CSL) in Freiburg.

A Virtual Night Out

A Virtual Night Out

February 23, 2024
Study of decision-making in a real-life environment featured in Scientific American

Science magazine Scientific Amer­i­can has devoted a long article to a research project based at the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Crime, Security and Law’s De­part­ment of Criminology.

More Problems, More Fear

More Problems, More Fear

February 21, 2024
Where people live influences fear of crime levels in victims of crime

People react differently to becoming a victim of crime when they live in disadvantaged neighborhoods: Their fear of crime increases more strongly compared to victims from privileged neighborhoods.

Independent Research Groups

Behavioral Economics of Crime and Conflict
Max Planck Research Group
Personality, Identity, and Crime
Max Planck Research Group
Space, Contexts, and Crime
Max Planck Research Group
Criminal Law Theory
Max Planck Research Group

Call for Papers

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Events

“Der letzte Jolly Boy” – Movie Night with Movie Director Hans-Erich Viet

Mar 19, 2024 06:00 PM - 09:00 PM (Local Time Germany)
Freiburg/Germany, Günterstalstr. 73, Room: Auditorium

Investigations of War Crimes in Ukraine

Apr 16, 2024 05:00 PM - 07:00 PM (Local Time Germany)
Freiburg/Germany, Fürstenbergstr. 19, Room: Seminar room (F 113) | Guests are welcome; please register

Key Issues in Criminal Justice

May 24, 2024 09:15 AM - 05:00 PM (Local Time Germany)
Freiburg/Germany, Fürstenbergstr. 19, Room: Seminar Room F113

Meet the Researchers


The Directors

The Directors

Tatjana Hörnle, Jean-Louis van Gelder, and Ralf Poscher – the Institute’s direc­tors – introduce their research depart­ments and explain why the Max Planck Institute is one of the top addresses for international researchers in the fields of criminal law, public law, and criminology.
Dominik Gerstner, Postdoc, De­part­ment of Criminology

Dominik Gerstner, Postdoc, De­part­ment of Criminology

“How can virtual reality experiments help us to better understand the behavior of burglars?”
Sofiya Kartalova, Postdoc, De­part­ment of Public Law

Sofiya Kartalova, Postdoc, De­part­ment of Public Law

“What is the mysterious adhesive that helps the Member States of the European Union stick together?”
Ivó Coca-Vila, Senior Researcher, De­part­ment of Criminal Law

Ivó Coca-Vila, Senior Researcher, De­part­ment of Criminal Law

“What types of behavior should be criminalized in western democratic states?”
Clara Rigoni, Senior Researcher, De­part­ment of Criminal Law

Clara Rigoni, Senior Researcher, De­part­ment of Criminal Law

“We probably all agree that plu­ral­ity is a major char­ac­ter­istic of today´s socie­ties. But what role does plurality play in crim­i­nal law? And, in particular, how can we guarantee effective crime control in socie­ties that are so diverse?”
Sebastian Kübel, Doctoral Researcher, Department of Criminology

Sebastian Kübel, Doctoral Researcher, Department of Criminology

“How do you view your fu­ture? Although I hope you have optimistic expectations, I am con­vinced that one’s view of the future depends very much on past expe­ri­ence. In my research, I consider how future prospects might sud­denly change after being violently victimized.”
Federica Cop­pola, Senior Researcher, De­part­ment of Criminal Law

Federica Cop­pola, Senior Researcher, De­part­ment of Criminal Law

“One of the most pressing issues in cur­rent de­bates on criminal justice con­cerns the short­com­ings of imprison­ment. Prison environ­ments can have traumatizing effects on con­fined people. Long prison sentences have no positive impact on relapses on criminal be­hav­ior.”
James M. An­go­ve, Senior Re­searcher, Department of Public Law

James M. An­go­ve, Senior Re­searcher, Department of Public Law

“When political violence happens, it is tempting to point a finger at those who committed the violence or those who en­couraged them. But, on inspection, modern political violence doesn’t always meet these expectations.”

Publication Highlights


Why is violence high and persistent indeprived communities? A formal model
Gefahr und allgemeines Lebensrisiko
Trait-specificity versus global positivity: A critical test of alternative sources of assumed similarity in personality judgments.
Handbuch des Verfassungsrechts : Darstellung in transnationaler Perspektive
Journal of Research in Crime and DelinquencyVolume 60 Issue 4, July 2023Special Issue: Crime, Choice, and ContextGuest Editor: Jean-Louis van GelderGuest Editor: Daniel S. Nagin
Plädoyer für die Legalisierung der Leihmutterschaft. Interdisziplinäre Analyse der Problemfelder und Regulierungsvorschlag am Vorbild der Lebendorganspende (Doktorarbeit)
Why It Is Not Unreasonable to Fear Terrorism
Die Schuld des Menschen
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