Tübingen, 14–15 November 2025
In 2025 GAIR is holding its annual conference jointly with the Professorship of Islamic Law at the University of Tübingen. Practical information and the programme are available in the programme flyer.
Berlin, 8–9 November 2024
The 2024 annual conference, entitled ‘Perspectives on the Development of Islamic Law: Philosophy of Law & Islamic Medical Ethics’, took place in Berlin. The programme is available here.
Erlangen, 10–11 November 2023
The annual conference took place in Erlangen and was devoted to two themes: Islam and law in Europe (first day) and Islamic finance and insurance (second day). The conference programme is available here.
Heidelberg, 7–8 October 2022
The 2022 annual conference was held at Heidelberg University in honour of Prof. em. Dr. Omaia Elwan. Here you will find the conference programme.
Hamburg, 22–23 October 2021
After the 2020 annual conference had to be cancelled because of the pandemic, the 2021 annual conference took place in Hamburg on the theme ‘Das islamische Erbrecht: Mechanismen seiner Reform und soziale Praxis’ [Islamic Inheritance Law: Mechanisms of Its Reform and Social Practice]. The conference programme is available here.
Göttingen, 25–26 October 2019
The 2019 annual conference took place in Göttingen on the theme ‘Migration und Heimatrecht: Herausforderungen muslimisch geprägter Zuwanderung nach Deutschland’ [Migration and the Law of the Country of Origin: Challenges of Muslim Immigration to Germany]. The conference programme is available here.
Halle, 9–10 November 2018
The 2018 annual conference, on the theme ‘Law, Islam and Anthropology’, was held in cooperation with the association RIMO at the Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology in Halle (Saale) (conference programme).
Osnabrück, 20–21 October 2017
The 2017 annual conference took place in Osnabrück under the overarching theme ‘Religiöse Normen in der Moderne zwischen Text und Kontext’ [Religious Norms in Modernity between Text and Context] (conference programme).
Freiburg im Breisgau, 21–22 October 2016
The 2016 annual conference took place at the Max Planck Institute for Foreign and International Criminal Law in Freiburg im Breisgau (conference programme).
Göttingen, 23–24 October 2015
The 2015 annual conference was held under the overarching theme ‘Genderforschung und Genderfragen im islamischen Recht’ [Gender Studies and Gender Issues in Islamic Law]. The venue was the Centre for Cultural Studies (Kulturwissenschaftliches Zentrum) of the Georg-August-Universität Göttingen (conference programme).
Leipzig, 17–18 October 2014
On 17 and 18 October 2014 the annual conference of GAIR was held at the Oriental Institute of Leipzig University. It addressed, on the one hand, the relationship between Islamic religion and law and the demands placed on it under changed conditions and, on the other, problems of commercial law in the Arab world. Distinguished speakers presented their latest research in this field for discussion and explained questions of legal practice. The conference volume is to appear in the series ‘Leipziger Beiträge zur Orientforschung’ in 2015. The general assembly met on 18 October 2014 following the annual conference. (conference programme)
Zurich, 11–12 October 2013
The annual conference of the Society for Arab and Islamic Law took place on 11 and 12 October 2013 in Zurich in cooperation with the Center for Islamic and Middle Eastern Legal Studies (CIMELS), Zurich, and the Erlangen Centre for Islam and Law in Europe (EZIRE) on the theme ‘Private International Law in Switzerland and Germany; the Law of Obligations in the Islamic World’. The conference was supported by the Dr. Alfred Vinzl Foundation, Erlangen. The five papers on the first theme addressed the application of ordre public within the legal frameworks of the state in Europe and in the Arab world. The second part of the event dealt with the law of contractual obligations in Arab countries and Iran, with reference to Sunni and Shiʿi legal thought. The general assembly met on 12 October 2013 (conference programme).
Heidelberg, 21–22 September 2012
The 15th annual conference of the Society for Arab and Islamic Law took place in Heidelberg on 21 and 22 September 2012 in cooperation with the Institute for Foreign and International Private and Commercial Law of Heidelberg University. Held under the overarching theme ‘Recht nach dem Arabischen Frühling’ [Law after the Arab Spring], it was dedicated to the 80th birthday of Professor em. Dr. Omaia Elwan, founding member of GAIR. Professor Dr. Dr. h.c. Herbert Kronke, longstanding director of the Institute and judge at the Iran–United States Claims Tribunal in The Hague, paid tribute to the life and work of the honoree. The academic contributions to the conference addressed questions of legal development and transformation in Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Tunisia. The planned conference volume is being edited by Dr. Otto and Dr. Menhofer (conference programme).
Berlin, 21–22 October 2011
Under the overarching theme ‘Scharia, Staat und Autonomie des Einzelnen’ [Sharia, the State and Individual Autonomy], the 2011 annual conference was held in cooperation with the Berlin Working Group on State and Islam in Germany at the Department of Law, FU Berlin. Planning and moderation were in the hands of Prof. Dr. Dr. Peter Scholz with the participation of Prof. Dr. Birgit Krawietz. The 14 papers at the conference addressed the relationship between private and public space, problems of the headscarf debate and of physical education lessons for Muslims, questions of what are termed honour killings, and Muslim burial practices in Germany. The general assembly met on 21 October 2011. [conference programme]
Leipzig, 15–16 October 2010
The 2010 annual conference took place at the Oriental Institute of Leipzig University in cooperation with the Centre for Area Studies (CAS) of Leipzig University.Under the overarching theme ‘Rechtstransfer in die, aus der und innerhalb der arabischen Welt’ [Legal Transfer into, out of and within the Arab World], seven papers were presented, which are to be published in a volume. The general assembly met on 16 October 2010. [Programme]
Hamburg, 25–26 September 2009
2009 annual conference at the Max Planck Institute for Comparative and International Private Law in Hamburg, jointly with the German–Iranian Lawyers’ Association. Focus: the law of the Maghreb states and Iranian law. New elections to the Committee and the Board of Trustees were held at the subsequent general assembly. [Invitation and programme (PDF)]
Cologne, 5–6 December 2008
On 5 and 6 December 2008 the 2008 annual conference was held as a joint event with the German–Iranian Lawyers’ Association and the German–Turkish Lawyers’ Association (DTJV) in Cologne. On the occasion of the 70th birthday of Hon. Prof. Dr. Hilmar Krüger, the conference met at the University of Cologne. [Programme of papers as PDF (as of 4 December 2008)]
Berlin, 19–20 October 2007
The tenth annual conference of GAIR took place in Berlin on 19 and 20 October 2007 at the German Institute for Human Rights. The conference programme is available here. The papers and discussions focused on the theme ‘Islam and Human Rights’.
12 April 2007
Established by the will of the founding chair of GAIR, Prof. Dr. Ernst Klingmüller (d. 2006), the Klingmüller Foundation is recognised and entered in the register of foundations of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia. The purpose of the foundation is to promote research in the field of the law of Islamic states.
Cologne, 27–28 October 2006
The ninth annual conference of GAIR was held in Cologne. Its thematic focus was commercial law, and in regional terms numerous papers dealt with the Gulf region (conference programme).
Göttingen, 23–24 September 2005
The Society’s eighth annual conference took place in Göttingen. Its main themes were ‘Legal Aspects of Reconstruction in Iraq’, which was also the subject of a public panel discussion, and ‘Islamic Banking’. Tilmann Röder published a conference report in the Neue Juristische Wochenschrift (NJW): ‘Blicke aus dem Dar el-Harb’ (conference programme).
Halle, 20–21 September 2004
The Society’s seventh annual conference took place on 20 and 21 September 2004 as part of the Deutscher Orientalistentag (German Oriental Studies Conference) in Halle. Numerous papers were presented in the ‘Law’ panel (conference programme).
Freiburg im Breisgau, 10–11 October 2003
The Society’s sixth annual conference in Freiburg im Breisgau. The main themes of the conference programme were criminal law in Islam and law in Iran. The papers of the symposium and further articles were published in 2004 in the volume ‘Beiträge zum Islamischen Recht IV’.
Erlangen, 11–12 October 2002
The Society’s fifth annual conference in the Wassersaal of the Orangerie, Erlangen. The papers of 2001 and 2002 can be read in the conference volume ‘Beiträge zum Islamischen Recht III’ (conference programme).
Mannheim, 3–4 May 2002
In cooperation with the European Law Students’ Association (ELSA) Mannheim e.V. and the law student council of the University of Mannheim, GAIR held an information seminar on Arab and Islamic law.
Munich, 19–20 October 2001
Fourth annual conference in Munich, partly in cooperation with the Max Planck Institute for Foreign and International Patent, Copyright and Competition Law (conference programme).
Gummersbach, 6–7 October 2000
Third annual conference at the Theodor-Heuss-Akademie, Gummersbach (conference programme).
Leipzig, 12–13 November 1999
Second annual conference at the Oriental Institute of Leipzig University (conference programme).
Heidelberg, 14 May 1999
Symposium in honour of Prof. em. Dr. Omaia Elwan on ‘Islamisches und arabisches Recht als Problem der Rechtsanwendung’ [Islamic and Arab Law as a Problem in the Application of Law] at the Institute for Foreign and International Commercial Law, Heidelberg University.
Munich, 23 April 1999
Seminar ‘Rechtsfragen im Wirtschaftsverkehr mit arabischen Staaten’ [Legal Issues in Business Relations with Arab States] in Munich, organised in cooperation with the German–Arab Chamber of Commerce (Cairo) and the Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK) for Munich and Upper Bavaria.
Bonn, 5–6 June 1998
The Society’s first annual conference at the Gustav-Stresemann-Institut in Bonn. 24 October 1997: 28 German and Arab lawyers and scholars of Islamic studies gather in Bonn for the founding assembly. The lawyer and scholar of Islamic studies Prof. Dr. Ernst Klingmüller (1914–2006) is elected as the first chair and leads the association until he moves to the newly founded Board of Trustees in 2001 (conference programme).