Pioneer of Nature Conservation Law Festschrift for Honorary Professor Hans Walter Louis

The Board of the Institute of Law at the TU Braunschweig honoured Professor Hans Walter Louis with a Festschrift on 23 April 2021. It was edited by Professor Edmund Brandt, Professor Ralf Kreikebohm and Jochen Schumacher under the title “Naturschutz – Rechtswissenschaft – Bewährung in der Praxis”. The Festschrift is dedicated to a man who is equally a specialist in administration, a scientist and a university lecturer. He is rightly considered a pioneer of nature conservation law. The authors assembled in the volume not only deal with issues of nature conservation and landscape management, but also shed light on topics from environmental, planning, building, forestry and animal protection law. This opens up a perspective of modern nature conservation law.

Prof. Dr. Hans Walter Louis. Picture credits: André Kukuk/IRW

Hans Walter Louis quickly became a highly competent expert in nationwide demand due to his clearly environmental law-oriented activities. The foundation for his impressive activities already unfolded during his work in the administration of Lower Saxony. This included almost two decades in the Lower Saxony Ministry for Federal and European Affairs and the Lower Saxony Ministry for the Environment. Louis was considered an expert most of all when the challenge of interlocking special environmental law with general planning and environmental law problems had to be mastered. He also had a significant impact on the penetration of nature conservation law through his work at the journal “Natur und Recht”. There he also discussed less prominent areas and in this way covered nature conservation law in all its width and depth.

Practice-oriented scientist and popular author

Hans Walter Louis’ academic work was characterised, among other things, by his profound knowledge of the subject matter and his sovereign practice-oriented approach. This preserved him from unrealistic speculations and always allowed his scientific findings to pass the practical test.

Hans Walter Louis’ outstanding work is also reflected in the fact that he has been a demanded author of practically all leading German journals on public law, and this is not only limited to the areas of nature conservation and environmental law, but also extends to data protection law, planning and building law as well as general administrative law.

Since 2008 Honorary Professor at the TU Braunschweig

Prof. Dr. Hans Walter Louis with the board of the Institute of Law: Prof. Dr. Edmund Brandt (r.) and Prof. Dr. Ralf Kreikebohm (l.). Picture credits: André Kukuk/IRW

After passing his second state law examination, Hans Walter Louis was initially a research assistant for constitutional and administrative law at the Department of Law at the Technische Universität Braunschweig for six years. Continuous teaching activities combined with excellent publications led to Hans Walter Louis being appointed honorary professor at the TU Braunschweig in 2008.

When the Institute of Law was founded in 2009, he was one of the indispensable lecturers and, as a member of the Institute’s management, contributed significantly to the conceptual development of the institution. During his time at the Institute, he taught the courses Administrative Law, Technical Environmental Law, Environmental and Planning Law and School Law.

The publication of this Festschrift by colleagues, former colleagues and friends expresses gratitude and recognition for an extraordinary lifework, combined with many good wishes for continued productive work. The publication was published by Berliner Wissenschafts-Verlag.