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. From 1933 on, he taught law at the
University of Kiel. In essays such as
Rechtsperson und subjektives Recht (1935), he sought to legitimize the racist ideology of the Nazi regime with high-minded Hegelian rhetoric. In 1937, he joined the Nazi Party, and participated in several of its academic endeavours. After World War II, Larenz was forbidden to teach until 1949 due to his involvement with the regime. Subsequently, he taught law in Kiel and since 1960 at the
University of Munich. He wrote influential textbooks on civil law (including
Lehrbuch des Schuldrechts, 1953), as well on legal methodology (
Methodenlehre der Rechtswissenschaft, 1960), which remained in print until the 21st century. == References ==