(Before) Arriving in Münster: Formalities and Accomodation
What formalities do I have to take care of?
As a fellow at the Kolleg there are some formalities that you need to take care of before and after you arrive. In most cases, international fellows complete the formalities in the following order:
1) Health insurance
2) Registration of address (compulsory registration)
3) Residence permit for Non-EU Citizens
4) Opening a bank account
5) Tax office (tax declaration)For more detailed information on this please visit the website of the University’s Welcome Centre: Formalities: Information for international academics.
How do I find accommodation in Münster?
With over 60.000 students, Münster is one of Germany’s biggest university cities, and finding a flat here is not easy. Rooms are scarce and the demand is high. Therefore, we strongly recommend to begin your search for accommodation as early as possible.
International scholarship holders, i.e. those who have their permanent residence outside Germany, can usually find accommodation in one of the university’s guest houses. They are only available to fellows whose permanent residence is remains outside Germany, and you need to apply for it before coming to Münster. You can find the contact details and all necessary information here.
If you are looking for a furnished flat, we recommend to consult our Fellow Management (info.evir@uni-muenster.de)
Do I need to register my residential address?
In Germany, anyone who moves to a new place of residence is required to register with the local authorities. You will have to register at the local Resident Registration Office (Einwohnermeldeamt) within one week of entering Germany or moving to a new address.
If you change your address during your stay, you must re-register at the Residents Registration Office in your new district. When you leave Münster at the end of your fellowship, you must de-register there as well.
For more information please visit the website of the Einwohnermeldeamt.
Academic Life at the Kolleg
What is the working language of the Kolleg?
The Kolleg is bilingual and operates in both German and English. We are aware that English or German is not everybody’s first (or even second) language, so showing mutual consideration is key for working successfully together at the Kolleg. We endeavor to ensure that everyone is given the time and space to articulate their ideas.
If you are interested in German courses, you might want to take a look at the University’s language classes for visiting scholars and international researchers: uni-muenster.de/Sprachenzentrum
What is the academic discussion culture like?
As a Kolleg, we strive to foster a culture of courteous debate and put great emphasis on treating each other with respect. With this in mind, discriminatory language and images are inappropriate in any context. We want every member of our community to feel welcome and respected, and it is up to each of us to uphold these standards.
Is attendance at the Kolleg compulsory during the fellowship?
Generally, fellows are expected to work from Münster during their fellowships and to participate in the programme and social life of the Kolleg. Thus, our fellows are expected to relocate to Germany and work at our facilities in the office spaces provided.
What are the regular events at the Kolleg?
Interdisciplinary dialogue is at the heart of our research programme, which is dependent on a collaborative approach. Thus, we invite fellows to engage and participate in the following events throughout the semester. However, the programme is designed to leave you enough time for your own research work, and an updated semester programme is forwarded to the fellows before the start of each new semester.
On Welcome Day, all fellows have the opportunity to introduce their research project to their colleagues in a short presentation. We will provide you with further information in good time.
The weekly Tea Time in the Kolleg Lounge is the common meeting place for all fellows and academic staff. There is plenty of opportunity here to address organisational questions, discuss joint research interests, or simply enjoy a nice cup of tea (or coffee, of course). Occasionally we combine tea time with a short Tea Time Talk by a fellow or staff member.
Once a semester, we hold our Glossary Week. During this week, all fellows and academic staff free themselves of other obligations and dedicate their time to the writing of short encyclopedia entries (approximately 1.5 to 2 pages) in either English or German for our joint interdisciplinary legal lexicon, which we refer to as the “Glossary”, i.e. the “Münster Glossary on Legal Unity and Pluralism” (see “Publications”). Afterwards, the texts are sent to the editorial organisers. At a later date, everyone meets for a Speed Discussion. Here, the participants are given the opportunity to briefly comment (max. 1 minute each) on any of the other entries that have been circulated by the organisers. The idea is to keep the peer review short and lively and to promote interdisciplinary discussion on key terms in the legal field. Of course, it is always taken into consideration that all texts submitted at this stage are preliminary drafts. Authors have sufficient time for revision before their entry is submitted for publication. If you have any questions about “Glossary Week” and the “Speed Discussion”, please contact Benjamin Seebröker (benjamin.seebroeker@uni-muenster.de).
The Reading Sessions provide the opportunity for joint readings and discussions of sources and conceptual texts. Through these sessions we aim to establish a common understanding across disciplinary boundaries. The Reading Sessions (usually 2 hours) are designed to provide intense insight into the individual research projects of our fellows, preferably based on source texts. Usually, a fellow presents on one of their own sources and has another fellow comment on them or chair the discussion. However, the format can be easily adapted to the specifics of your work. We cordially invite you to then develop your contribution into a short article (max. 10-15 pages), as a contribution to our joint source reader on legal pluralism (see “Publications”). If you have any questions about the Reading Sessions, please contact Sophia Mösch (smoesch@uni-muenster.de).
The discussions at our Conceptual Forums aim for interdisciplinary understanding and serve conceptual reflection as well as productive irritation of one's own assumptions. To this end, approaches developed in history, law, legal history, and legal anthropology will be discussed from different disciplinary and epochal perspectives based on an introductory text that sets out key concepts. The main focus is on exploring what added value certain concepts can offer for various research questions and where possible limits of applicability may lie.
In our working group (in the Kolleg's second phase), the respective annual theme is addressed. These working groups bring together fellows, other members of the Kolleg, and individual guests who meet twice internally between October and June of each year, followed by a public conference, which serves as the Kolleg’s Annual Conference.
As part of a two-day retreat held annually, we engage not only in focused discussions in the seminar room but also during joint walks through parks and forests or while enjoying beverages in the evening on topics related to the Kolleg.
During the semester, a series of conferences and workshops are organised by academic staff and fellows. Participation in these events is not compulsory but offers the opportunity to delve more deeply into certain topics and engage in conversation with your colleagues. If you would like to attend a conference or workshop, please register in advance via the registration link that will be provided (this makes it easier for the organisers to do the planning). If you are interested in organising a workshop at the Kolleg yourself, please see the section on “Fellow Workshops” below.
Of course, we also encourage fellows to independently organise working or discussion meetings according to interest and demand, for example, reading conceptual texts together.
Last but not least, we would like to emphasise that we strive to take religious holidays into account when planning our programme. Should we unfortunately not be able to do so, we apologise and of course fully understand if you are unable to attend one of our regular events.
I am interested in organising a workshop at the Kolleg. What are the first steps?
Please contact the Managing Director Andre Dechert if you are interested in organising a workshop at the Kolleg (andre.dechert@uni-muenster.de).
How can I make my work known to other fellows and colleagues at the Kolleg?
During the Welcome Day at the beginning of the semester, fellows have the opportunity to give a short presentation on their projects. It is also possible to organise your own Reading Session. In addition, you have the opportunity to display your own books and publications in the Lounge’s “culture corner”, where they can be viewed by the other members of the Kolleg. You can, of course, take your books back at any time.
What outreach activities does the Kolleg engage in?
The Kolleg also aims to disseminate the research questions discussed, and results achieved here, beyond the local academic community given that legal unity and pluralism are topics that affect many areas of society. If you would like to engage with the broader public on your research, we will be happy to support you and discuss suitable formats with you. These can range from the classic press release, to digital formats, and special outreach events. If you have any questions concerning the outreach activities of the Kolleg, please contact Lennart Pieper (lennart.pieper@uni- muenster.de).
In addition to that, the website of the Käte Hamburger Kolleg serves as the Kolleg’s central communication channel. Here, you find the latest news and all important information about fellows and staff, the research agenda, publications and events, as well as the EViR Blog. You can also subscribe to our newsletter here. If you use social media, feel free to follow the Kolleg on Instagram (evir_muenster), LinkedIn, and YouTube (“Einheit und Vielfalt im Recht”). Furthermore, the bilingual annual report of the Kolleg is published on this platform every spring with a retrospective on events, fellows’ projects, and research topics.
Publications
What are the “EViR Working Papers”?
Of course, you can publish the research results you obtain during your fellowship in any academic forum of your choice (please note the instructions for the acknowledgment offunding below). However, we would also like to recommend the EViR Working Papers to you.
Through this series, the Kolleg offers its fellows an opportunity to publish research results in an uncomplicated and timely manner. The series is published both digitally, via Münster University’s publication server Miami and on the Kolleg’s website, and in print - it is, therefore, highly visible. To ensure citability and findability, the series is equipped with an ISSN as well as individual identifiers (URNs and DOIs) for each contribution. Published under an open Creative Commons license, the series follows the recommendations for Open Access publications. The directors and research associates of the Kolleg serve as the editorial board.
In terms of content, contributions should be based on the projects worked on during the fellowship. In contrast to more rigid publication formats (such as journal articles), contributions to the working paper series may well have a work-in-progress character. We welcome previously unpublished conference papers, research reports, and other papers arising from collaborative work at the Kolleg. Reflections on the Kolleg’s overarching questions (research perspectives, terminology, engagement with recent literature) are also particularly suitable for this format.
If you have any further questions, please contact the editorial director Benjamin Seebröker (benjamin.seebroeker@uni-muenster.de).
What is the “Glossary”?
The, “Münster Glossary on Legal Unity and Pluralism” is a legal encyclopaedia being compiled by the Kolleg. Within the glossary, central terms and concepts related to the research at the Kolleg are defined in their respective disciplinary and trans-disciplinary contexts. Entries can be written in either English or German (or both) and should be about 1.5 to 2 pages long. Depending on how long you stay at the Kolleg, one or two of your own contributions will also become part of this ongoing project (of course, you can also write more entries, if you desire). The glossary is constantly being expanded through contributions by new fellows and is published about every six months as a preliminary version in the EViR Working Paper series. The final print version will be published as an edited book after the project is completed. Have a look at the most recent version on the Kolleg’s website. If you have any further questions, suggestions for new keywords for the entries, or would like to contribute an article to the glossary, please contact Benjamin Seebröker (benjamin.seebroeker@uni-muenster.de).
What is the source reader?
To generate a permanent outcome from the Reading Sessions (see “Regular events”), the Käte Hamburger Kolleg plans to publish an international, transdisciplinary source reader for which we cordially invite you to contribute an article. The idea is to collect a wide range of examples of interesting primary legal sources from different disciplinary fields and make them accessible to an international, non-specialist audience – students, fellows, and other researchers from various disciplines. The reader is intended to compile sources and comparable materials that are directly related to the topic of legal unity and plurality. Depending on your own disciplinary field and research interests, such sources could be manuscript transcripts or archival documents but also interview transcripts or visual material such as maps or images. Ideally, contributions will provide a short excerpt of the source in the original language and a German or English translation. Moreover, the introduction to and short discussion of the source should provide readers with the necessary background knowledge to interpret the source. Articles do not normally exceed 10-15 pages each. If you have any further questions about the source reader, please contact Sophia Mösch (smoesch@uni-muenster.de).
What about the good old book?
The book series “Einheit & Vielfalt im Recht | Legal Unity & Pluralism” is edited by the directors of the Käte Hamburger Kolleg, Ulrike Ludwig and Peter Oestmann, and published by Böhlau Verlag. The volumes are published in either German or English and are predominantly open access.
The series conceptualises legal pluralism as a structural feature of law in general and, therefore, assumes a relational and historically changeable connection between unity and pluralism in law. It aims to comprehensively illuminate the cultural polymorphism of these connections in an interdisciplinary, transpatial, and inter-epochal manner.
The series mainly features studies by fellows and staff at the Kolleg and associated researchers. Proceedings from major conferences held at the Kolleg can also be published in the series as edited volumes. The publication costs are fully covered by the Kolleg.
If you have any further questions or want to contribute to the series, please contact one of the editors.
Can you tell me more about the Kolleg’s “EViR Blog”?
The EViR Blog is an important communication channel that also reaches non-experts. Here, we publish fascinating contributions from the broad field of legal pluralism. There are no disciplinary, geographical, or temporal boundaries.
Contributions are published in both English and German. They formulate theses and open questions, provide food for thought, or put current events into perspective. There are also reports on conferences and events from Kolleg life. In addition, we publish interviews with fellows about their research projects.
Find the EViR Blog here. If you would like to publish an article, please contact Kathrin Schulte (kathrin.schulte@uni-muenster.de)
How do I acknowledge my fellowship at the Käte Hamburger Kolleg in my publications?
With regard to publications arising from your fellowship at the Kolleg, our funder asks you to acknowledge the funding in the first footnote, stating for example: "This publication was made possible by a fellowship from the Käte Hamburger Kolleg "Legal Unity and Pluralism" at the University of Münster, funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF)."
For publications in German, we recommend the following phrase: „Diese Publikation wurde ermöglicht durch ein Fellowship des vom Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF) geförderten Käte Hamburger Kollegs „Einheit und Vielfalt im Recht“ an der Universität Münster.“
We also kindly ask you to send us a specimen copy.
Further Questions
My question has not been answered here. Where do I find further information and who can I contact?
The University’s Welcome Centre has put together some information for international visiting scholars. This addresses questions about entering Germany, the taxation of stipends, and insurance issues. Please note that the Käte Hamburger Kolleg cannot provide information on these questions due to the variation in people’s individual situations. As an international researcher, you are welcome to contact the Welcome Centre (international.office@uni-muenster.de) with any questions you may have about your stay in Germany.
Furthermore, you can also send an email to the Kolleg’s administrative office at info.evir@uni-muenster.de. We will do our best to answer your questions as soon as possible. Please note, however, that this email address is only checked during working hours in Münster and we may need a few days to get back to you.