Karl Larenz (23 April 1903, Wesel − 24 January 1993, Olching) was a German jurist and philosopher of law.
[1] After a childhood in Posen, and studies in Berlin and elsewhere, Larenz obtained a doctorate in law in 1926 with a dissertation on Hegel, and a habilitation in 1929.
[2] In essays such as Rechtsperson und subjektives Recht[3] (1935), he sought to legitimize the racist ideology of the Nazi regime with high-minded Hegelian rhetoric.
[5] After World War II, Larenz was forbidden to teach until 1949 due to his involvement with the regime.
[2] He wrote influential textbooks on civil law (including Lehrbuch des Schuldrechts, 1953), as well on legal methodology (Methodenlehre der Rechtswissenschaft, 1960),[2] which remained in print until the 21st century.