Gerd Roellecke

Gerd Roellecke (born 13 July 1927 in Iserlohn, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany – † 30 October 2011 in Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg, Germany) was a German legal scholar, lawyer, philosopher and former professor for public law and philosophy at the University of Mannheim from 1969 to 1999. Moreover, he served as rector at the University of Mannheim between 1982 and 1985.

Life
Gerd Roellecke was born in 1927 as the son of businessman Wilhelm Roellecke, and was baptised a Roman Catholic. He served as a soldier from 1943 to 1945 in the Second World War, and then pursued tertiary study, graduating from high school in 1947. From 1948 to 1952, Roellecke studied economics and law at the Universities of Würzburg and Freiburg im Breisgau where he obtained his first Staatsexamen. He then went on to obtain his second Staatsexamen at the University of Düsseldorf.

In 1960, Roellecke received his doctorate with a thesis exploring the limits of the judicial power held by the Federal Constitutional Court. From 1966 to 1969, he held the role of research assistant at the Federal Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe, before completing his habilitation and a further thesis at the University of Mainz discussing the concept of positive law and its relation to the Basic Law of the Federal Republic of Germany. Following this, later the same year, Roellecke was appointed the role of professor at the University of Mannheim, where he assumed the chair for public law and legal philosophy, a post he held until his retirement in 1995.

Whilst at the University of Mannheim he also fulfilled the positions of vice-rector from 1970 to 1973, and rector from 1982 to 1985. Additionally, from August 1972 to July 1974 he served as President of the West German Rectors' Conference.

Roellecke was held in high regard by readers of the Frankferter Allgemeine Zeitung, known for writing numerous reviews throughout his career. He passed away on 30 October 2011, and an obituary was dedicated to him in the newspaper on 3 November 2011, which began with a quote from German sociologist Niklas Luhmann: "Everything could be different - and I can change almost nothing."

Other professional accomplishments include his membership within the Clausewitz Society.

Academics
Roellecke worked from 1969 until he became emeritus in 1995 as chaired professor for public law and law philosophy at the University of Mannheim (UMA). Between 1970 and 1973 he was vice president of the university and from 1982 to 1985 president (Rektor). He was succeeded by Heinrich Chantraine in his role as rector of the university. In 1999 he received the Merit Cross 1st Class and became honorary member of the German Research Institute for Public Administration in 2001.

Publications

 * Patrick Bahners, Gerd Roellecke (Hrsg.): Preußische Stile : ein Staat als Kunststück, Stuttgart : Klett-Cotta 2001, ISBN 3-608-94290-4.
 * Über immanente Grenzen der richterlichen Gewalt des Bundesverfassungsgerichtes, Freiburg im Breisgau 1960, zugl. Diss., Univ. Freiburg 1960.
 * Der Begriff des positiven Gesetzes und das Grundgesetz, Mainz 1969, zugl. Habil.-Schrift, Univ. Mainz 1969.
 * Verfassungsgebende Gewalt als Ideologie, in: JZ 1992, S. 929 bis 934.
 * Die Entkoppelung von Recht und Religion, in: JZ 2004, S. 105 bis 110.
 * Religion - Recht - Kultur und die Eigenwilligkeit der Systeme: Überarbeitete Fassung eines Vortrags gehalten vor der „Juristischen Gesellschaft zu Berlin“ am 9. Mai 2007, De Gruyter Recht, Berlin 2007, ISBN 978-3-89949-454-9.

Honours

 * 1987: Federal Cross of Merit, First Class
 * Honorary member of the Research Institute for Public Administration in Speyer