Francis Lieber Lecture on International Law

The Francis Lieber Lecture

In honour and memory of Francis Lieber, the Francis Lieber Lecture on International Law, initiated in 2022, invites renowned international law scholars to give an annual lecture at the University of Jena in order to bring the latest developments in international law closer to the university and the wider public. Francis (originally “Franz”) Lieber, born in Berlin in 1798, was a German-American jurist, philosopher of state, and diplomat. As a young liberal activist who fought in the Napoleonic Wars and the Greek Revolution, he arrived at the University of Jena, where he received his doctorate in July 1820. After emigrating to the USA in 1827, he gained great fame there as the founder of the Encyclopedia Americana, among other achievements. Francis Lieber is known worldwide as the author of the “Lieber Code” of 1863, the first written set of rules providing guidelines on methods of warfare, which applied to the armed forces of the Union in the American Civil War and was later adopted by other military organisations. Ultimately, the Lieber Code formed the basis for the emergence of international humanitarian law, including the Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907. Ahead of his time, Lieber recognised the need for a binding code of conduct to alleviate the devastating consequences of war, especially for the civilian population, and to ensure the humane treatment of prisoners of war. After the Civil War, Lieber served as a diplomatic negotiator and arbitrator between the USA and Mexico. He also engaged with international law scholars such as J. C. Bluntschli, whose 1868 work ”Das moderne Völkerrecht der civilisirten Staten” [”Modern International Law of Civilized States”], often considered the first German-language attempt to codify international law, inspired him. Francis Lieber is thus not only one of the reasons behind international humanitarian law, but also shaped and inspired international legal thinking beyond the law of armed conflict. As a cosmopolitan free spirit, immigrant, philosopher and diplomat, he stands for the advancement of the international community by promoting an international legal consciousness.