Death of Hans Maier

“We’ve lost a great scholar and an influential teacher,” says LMU President Matthias Tschöp. From the 1960s, Professor Hans Maier researched and taught at LMU’s Institute of Political Science – later the Geschwister Scholl Institute of Political Science – where his work focused on political theory, the history of ideas, and questions of state and society.

Maier belonged to the postwar generation of scholars who were instrumental in establishing political science as an academic discipline in Germany and shaping its development. His scholarship was distinguished by the depth of its historical vision and its interdisciplinary openness. Throughout his career, Maier remained deeply interested in the intellectual and cultural foundations of political order.

Armin Nassehi, LMU Vice President for Law, Economics and Social Science, describes Maier as “a mediator between denominations, a mediator between academia and politics, and above all someone who could go against the grain of the times in his cultural and educational ideas while never failing to seek dialogue and understanding. He was someone who would not be constrained by expectations.”

Maier remained very close to the Geschwister Scholl Institute of Political Science, where he influenced generations of students and early-career scholars. His courses opened students’ eyes both to the great traditions of political thought and to the challenges facing modern democracies. He never regarded scholarship merely as a specialist discipline, but as a means of contributing to and guiding social and political affairs.

Even during his many years of service as Bavarian State Minister of Education and Cultural Affairs, the feedback between scholarly reflection and practical responsibility remained a defining feature of his work. After returning to LMU, he particularly focused on the relationships between politics, religion, and culture. His research at the Romano Guardini Chair demonstrated how closely political developments are intertwined with historical experience, religious traditions, and cultural patterns of interpretation.

Beyond the university walls, Hans Maier was an active member of numerous academic, cultural, and civic institutions. His counsel was highly prized due to his ability to place political and social developments within broader historical contexts. He combined scholarly rigor with a strong commitment to public dialogue.

“Hans Maier was a scholar of extraordinary learning and remarkable intellectual breadth,” observes Matthias Tschöp. “Over many decades, he enriched the academic life of our university and made important contributions not only to political science but also to dialogue between academia, politics, and society. LMU will honor and preserve his memory.”