2 Jul 2026
To mark the anniversary of the Bavarian Constitution, experts will gather in the Great Hall to discuss democracy, political culture, and their future.
Exactly 80 years ago, democratic history was made in the Great Hall of LMU: it was here that the Bavarian Constitutional Assembly debated the Bavarian Constitution, which remains the foundation of the Free State of Bavaria to this day. To mark this anniversary, LMU’s Institute of Bavarian History, together with the Presidency of the Bavarian State Parliament, is hosting an interdisciplinary colloquium entitled “Democracy and Constitution”.
In 1946, the Constituent State Assembly met in the Great Hall—the only representative venue in Munich that had not been destroyed or damaged by bombing.
© Haus der Bayerischen GeschichteThe event deliberately returns to the historic venue and the events of 1946. At the time, Wilhelm Hoegner, Minister-President of Bavaria and principal architect of the Bavarian Constitution, described it as the “last and strongest bulwark against arbitrariness and tyranny” and a “charter of freedom upon which every citizen can rely.” Against the backdrop of today’s societal challenges, the colloquium will explore the role that constitutions and political culture play in sustaining successful democratic societies.
Scholars from the fields of political science, law, and history will examine the topic from different perspectives. Professor Klaus Stüwe of the Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt will discuss “The Paradox of Democratic Self-Limitation: Constitution as a Condition for Freedom.” Professor Peter M. Huber, legal scholar at LMU and former Justice of the German Federal Constitutional Court, will address the concept of democracy embedded in the Bavarian Constitution. Professor Ferdinand Kramer, Director of LMU’s Institute of Bavarian History, will examine the renewal of democratic political culture in Bavaria from the end of the Second World War until 1949.
The colloquium will be followed by a ceremonial event opened by LMU President Professor Matthias Tschöp. The keynote address will be delivered by Ilse Aigner, President of the Bavarian State Parliament, under the title “Our Constitution – A Plea for a Reconciled Society.” In addition, the Great Hall of LMU will officially be designated a “Place of Democracy,” commemorated by a permanent installation.
Invitation: The Great Hall as a place of democracy“ (available in German only)
The memorial stele will commemorate the Great Hall as a place of democracy. | © Rolf Poss
LMU is committed to living up to this designation in many ways. The university is currently planning a new Center for Democracy Research with the ambition of becoming a European flagship initiative. The project is rooted in the observation that democracies around the world are facing profound challenges. Digitalization, artificial intelligence, disinformation, social polarization, and global crises are fundamentally reshaping the conditions under which democratic processes operate.
LMU therefore approaches democracy research as a comprehensive form of societal research. Scholars from the humanities, social sciences, law, economics, natural sciences, life sciences, and medicine will work together to investigate how technological, economic, and cultural developments shape democratic societies. Key research questions include how trust is created, how democratic institutions can remain resilient, and how freedom, the public sphere, and responsibility must be reimagined in the digital age.