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Faculty of LawInstitut für internationales und ausländisches Privatrecht

Alexander Lüderitz Stiftung

Preface by Richard M. Buxbaum Jack Coons, Sandy Kadish on the occasion of the establishment of the Alexander Lüderitz Foundation

The Alexander Lüderitz Foundation, created through the generous support of the late Professor Dr. Dr.h.c. Lüderitz and Renate Lüderitz, reflects and continues the half century of international engagement of the Institute of International and Foreign Private Law of the University of Cologne. For the undersigned it is a particular privilege and satisfaction to commemorate the launching of the Foundation since the close collaboration of the Institute with the School of Law (Boalt Hall) of the University of California, Berkeley marked the rebirth, after World War II, of their respective international activities.

It was in 1954 that Alexander Lüderitz’s predecessor and mentor, Prof. Dr. Dr.h.c. Gerhard Kegel, and the late Dean William Prosser of Berkeley formally created the two school’s scholar and teacher exchange that continues to this day, and in which Alexander Lüderitz played an important role. His and his wife’s first year at Berkeley, in 1962-63, under this program, was followed by many extended visits through which he enriched our school as a teacher, researcher, and conference participant. For us, as for many of our Berkeley faculty and graduate-student colleagues, the opportunities to teach and work in Cologne were equally important and greatly benefited all participants. The professional and – at least as important – the personal connections that grew over these 50 years were and remain an enduring element in all our lives.

Of course, and most appropriately, the international interest of the Institute are not limited to the Anglo-American legal world, let alone to Berkeley. The great European project from the European Coal and Steel Community (not coincidentally also launched in 1954) to the European Union of today, early engaged Alexander Lüderitz and is fully reflected in the Foundation’s purpose. But the Institute’s American outpost, among all its other partners and friends, has the best reason to recall the long association nurtured by Alexander and Renate Lüderitz, to recognize their selfless generosity of spirit in supporting these partnerships, and to extend its best wishes for the success of the Foundation upon its establishment.

Berkeley, August 2003

Richard M. Buxbaum Jack Coons Sandy Kadish

 

Stifterin Renate Lüderitz

Seine Ehefrau Renate Lüderitz (19.10.1927 - 3.8.2021) war dem Institut für internationales und ausländisches Privatrecht auch über den Tod ihres Ehemanns Professor Dr. Dr. h.c. Alexander Lüderitz hinaus eng verbunden und setzte sich in seinem Geist intensiv für die Förderung des juristischen Nachwuchses ein.

Sie errichtete im Jahr 2022 die Alexander Lüderitz Stiftung, die insbesondere das Auslandsstudium besonders begabter junger Nachwuchsjurist:innen im Bereich des internationalen Privat- und Verfahrensrechts fördert. Bis zu Ihrem Tod war Renate Lüderitz im Stiftungsvorstand aktiv