I really enjoyed the ITM focus and it showed me that this direction is also interesting for me professionally.
Wilfried Schlüter died
It is with deep sadness that we bid farewell to Prof. Dr. Wilfried Schlüter, a formative figure in law and former Rector of the Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster. As was only announced today, Wilfried Schlüter passed away on New Year’s Eve at the age of 90.
His life was marked by the upheavals of the 20th century. Born in Königsberg, he experienced flight at the age of ten, an experience that shaped his view of the world and the importance of freedom and justice for the rest of his life. After studying in Marburg and Mainz and completing his doctorate under Hans-Joachim Fleck (later influenced by his mentor Harry Westermann and Karl Larenz), Wilfried Schlüter dedicated himself to civil and labor law. His habilitation on the “Obiter Dictum” testified early on to his keen eye for judicial legal development and methodological precision.
In the 1970s, he demonstrated exceptional backbone at the Free University of Berlin during the student unrest. At a time when lectures were obstructed by butyric acid attacks and violent disruptions, he remained an advocate of objective dialog. In Münster, he took over as rector during a period of deep institutional crisis. With legal acumen, but above all with human integrity, he succeeded in pacifying the university. He focused on loyalty and practical work rather than confrontation and led the rectorate with a pinch of “Dortmund directness”.
Even after his retirement, he remained tireless. As a visiting professor in Moscow, Brazil and the Baltic states, he promoted international exchange and remained a mentor to his students until the end. He always reminded his students that law is more than just looking things up in databases: he advocated reading great systematic works and learning the legal method as the foundation of every good lawyer.
In Prof. Dr. Wilfried Schlüter, we are losing an old-school scholar who helped shape the modernization of the university without sacrificing his principles. His advice to “argue methodically and correctly” and to maintain a broad education will remain as a legacy for future generations.
Our sympathy goes out to his family and all those who had the privilege of appreciating him as a teacher and colleague.
It is with deep sadness that we bid farewell to Prof. Dr. Wilfried Schlüter, a formative figure in law and former Rector of the Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster. As was only announced today, Wilfried Schlüter passed away on New Year’s Eve at the age of 90.
His life was marked by the upheavals of the 20th century. Born in Königsberg, he experienced flight at the age of ten, an experience that shaped his view of the world and the importance of freedom and justice for the rest of his life. After studying in Marburg and Mainz and completing his doctorate under Hans-Joachim Fleck (later influenced by his mentor Harry Westermann and Karl Larenz), Wilfried Schlüter dedicated himself to civil and labor law. His habilitation on the “Obiter Dictum” testified early on to his keen eye for judicial legal development and methodological precision.
In the 1970s, he demonstrated exceptional backbone at the Free University of Berlin during the student unrest. At a time when lectures were obstructed by butyric acid attacks and violent disruptions, he remained an advocate of objective dialog. In Münster, he took over as rector during a period of deep institutional crisis. With legal acumen, but above all with human integrity, he succeeded in pacifying the university. He focused on loyalty and practical work rather than confrontation and led the rectorate with a pinch of “Dortmund directness”.
Even after his retirement, he remained tireless. As a visiting professor in Moscow, Brazil and the Baltic states, he promoted international exchange and remained a mentor to his students until the end. He always reminded his students that law is more than just looking things up in databases: he advocated reading great systematic works and learning the legal method as the foundation of every good lawyer.
In Prof. Dr. Wilfried Schlüter, we are losing an old-school scholar who helped shape the modernization of the university without sacrificing his principles. His advice to “argue methodically and correctly” and to maintain a broad education will remain as a legacy for future generations.
Our sympathy goes out to his family and all those who had the privilege of appreciating him as a teacher and colleague.