Wolfgang Kunkel (1902-1981) was a prominent German historian of Roman law, who stressed the importance of Roman social history in understanding Roman law and institutions. Born in Fürth, Germany, Kunkel studied law and history at the

Goethe University Frankfurt Goethe University Frankfurt () is a public research university located in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. It was founded in 1914 as a citizens' university, which means it was founded and funded by the wealthy and active liberal citizenry of Frankfurt ...

, the

University of Giessen University of Giessen, official name Justus Liebig University Giessen (), is a large public research university in Giessen, Hesse, Germany. It is one of the oldest institutions of higher education in the German-speaking world. It is named afte ...

, and the

University of Berlin The Humboldt University of Berlin (, abbreviated HU Berlin) is a public research university in the central borough of Mitte in Berlin, Germany. The university was established by Frederick William III on the initiative of Wilhelm von Humbol ...

. He received his doctorate in 1924 at the

University of Freiburg The University of Freiburg (colloquially ), officially the Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg (), is a public university, public research university located in Freiburg im Breisgau, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The university was founded in 1 ...

and his

Habilitation Habilitation is the highest university degree, or the procedure by which it is achieved, in Germany, France, Italy, Poland and some other European and non-English-speaking countries. The candidate fulfills a university's set criteria of excelle ...

in 1926 (both were directed by Professor Ernst Levy). In 1929, Kunkel accepted a position as Professor at the

University of Göttingen The University of Göttingen, officially the Georg August University of Göttingen (, commonly referred to as Georgia Augusta), is a Public university, public research university in the city of Göttingen, Lower Saxony, Germany. Founded in 1734 ...

. There he worked with the prominent classical scholars

Eduard Fraenkel Eduard David Mortier Fraenkel FBA () was a German classical scholar who served as the Corpus Christi Professor of Latin at the University of Oxford from 1935 until 1953. Born to a family of assimilated Jews in the German Empire, he studied Cl ...

, Hermann Frankel, and

Kurt Latte Kurt Latte (9 March 1891, Königsberg – 8 June 1964, Tutzing) was a German philologist and classical scholar known for his work on ancient Roman religion. Career The son of a doctor, Latte studied at the Universities of Königsberg, Bonn and Be ...

. When those scholars were ousted from their positions by the

Nazi Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...

government because they were Jewish, Kunkel protested. In 1936, Kunkel accepted a position at the

University of Bonn The University of Bonn, officially the Rhenish Friedrich Wilhelm University of Bonn (), is a public research university in Bonn, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It was founded in its present form as the () on 18 October 1818 by Frederick Willi ...

and in 1943 at the

University of Heidelberg Heidelberg University, officially the Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg (; ), is a public university, public research university in Heidelberg, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Founded in 1386 on instruction of Pope Urban VI, Heidelberg is List ...

. During World War II he served as a judge in the German Army, where he followed his own ethical principles and was able to prevent several injustices. After the end of the war, he took up his position at the University of Heidelberg and then was appointed Rector of the University of Heidelberg in 1947/1948. He moved to the

University of Munich The Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (simply University of Munich, LMU or LMU Munich; ) is a public university, public research university in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. Originally established as the University of Ingolstadt in 1472 by Duke ...

in 1956 and renamed the Institute for Papyrus Research and Ancient Legal History the

Leopold Wenger Institute for Ancient Legal History and Papyrus Research The Leopold Wenger Institute for Ancient Legal History and Papyrus Research is an institute of the law school of the University of Munich. It traces itself back to the Seminar for Papyrus Research founded by Professor Leopold Wenger in 1909 (whic ...

in honor of the Austrian historian of Roman law Leopold Wenger (also an Anti-Nazi). Kunkel was a prolific and influential scholar. Throughout his career, he wrote, edited, or co-edited eleven books and also authored over 60 articles. His most influential books were ''Römische Rechtsgeschichte'' (originally published in 1948, and then went through seven editions (and which was translated into Dutch, English, Spanish, and Italian) and his ''Herkunft und soziale Stellung der römischen Juristen'' (originally published in Weimar in 1952, 2nd corrected and expanded edition published in Graz in 1967). Many of Kunkel's students would go on to be leaders in the field of the study of Roman law.Dieter Nörr, “Kunkel, Wolfgang,” in ''Neue Deutsche Biographie'' 13 (Berlin, 1982), p. 298 ff.; available online at: https://www.deutsche-biographie.de/gnd116610751.html#ndbcontent After his retirement in 1970, his former student

Dieter Nörr Dieter Nörr (1931 in Munich, Germany – October 3, 2017) was a German scholar of Ancient Law. He studied at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich from 1949 to 1953. After receiving his doctorate with a dissertation on criminal law in the Code ...

succeeded him as director of the

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* {{DEFAULTSORT:Kunkel, Wolfgang 1902 births Date of birth missing People from Fürth 1981 deaths Date of death missing Place of death missing 20th-century German historians German legal historians University of Freiburg alumni Academic staff of the University of Göttingen Academic staff of the University of Bonn Historians of ancient Rome Academic staff of Heidelberg University Academic staff of the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich Corresponding fellows of the British Academy