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Faculty of LawInstitute of Eastern European and Comparative Law

You can see a portrait of Professor Dr. Boris Meissner

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Professor Dr. Dr. h.c. Boris Meissner (*10.8.1915 - † 10.9.2003)

10.8.1915: Born in Pskov (Pleskau).

1932-1939: Studied economics and law in Tartu (Dorpat) and after resettlement (1940) in Pozna

1940-1946: Military service and captivity

1946-1953: Research assistant and consultant for Eastern law at the Research Centre for International Law and Foreign Public Law at the University of Hamburg

1953-1959: Employee of the Federal Foreign Office - Head of the Soviet Union Department, First Embassy Secretary at the German Embassy in Moscow, Head of the Structural Units of the Eastern Department of the Federal Foreign Office

1959-1964: Professor for Eastern European Law, Politics and Sociology of Eastern Europe, Director of the Seminar for Politics, Society and Law of Eastern Europe at Kiel University

1964-1985: Professor for Eastern European Law, Director of the Institute for Eastern European Law at the University of Cologne

Memberships and voluntary activities

  • Member of the Steering Committee of the Working Group on East-West Issues at the Federal Foreign Office (from 1958, Chairman 1972-82)

  • Member of the Board of Directors of the Ostkolleg of the Federal Agency for Civic Education, Cologne (1959-1982)

  • Member of the Board of Directors of the Federal Institute for East and International Studies (1961-1971)

  • Vice-Chairman of the Study Group for Politics and International Law (1961-1992)

  • Member of the Board of the German Society for Eastern European Studies (1959-1973)

  • President of the Göttinger Arbeitskreis e.V. (1965-2000)

  • 1996 Honorary Doctor of the University of Tartu (Dorpat)

Awards

  • 1977 Royal Swedish Order of the North Star
  • 1979 Federal Cross of Merit I. Kl.
  • 1985 Grand Federal Cross of Merit
  • 1995 Estonian Marienland Grand Cross Order of Merit
  • 1996 Grand Federal Cross of Merit with Star

Selected publications

  • Russland, die Westmächte und Deutschland, Hamburg 1953, 2. Aufl. 1954
  • Das Ostpakt-System, Frankfurt/M. 1955
  • Die Sowjetunion, die baltischen Staaten und das Völkerrecht, Köln 1956 (Hamburger Dissertation 1955)
  • Sowjetunion und Selbstbestimmungsrecht, Köln 1962
  • Partei, Staat und Nation in der Sowjetunion, Berlin 1982
  • Außenpolitik und Völkerrecht in der Sowjetunion, Köln 1986
  • Die Sowjetunion im Umbruch, Stuttgart 1988, 2. Aufl. 1989
  • Die Sowjetunion und Deutschland von Jalta bis zur Wiedervereinigung, Köln 1995
  • Die baltischen Staaten im weltpolitischen und völkerrechtlichen Wandel, Hamburg 1995 u. a.