The DGIR mourns the loss of Rudolf Bernhardt (29. April 1925 – 1. Dezember 2021). Our colleague Bernhardt chaired our society from 1973 to 1977 vor. Under his chairmanship, the biennial conference in Heidelberg 1973 was held, with presentations on 'The Right of Self-Determination in International Law' and on 'Expropriation and Nationalisation Measures Concerning Foreign Companies' (published as volumes 13 and 14 of our conference proceedings), as was a study workshop on 'The Freedom of Navigation in Contemporary International Law' (published as volume 15 of our conference proceedings).

Previously, Bernhardt had delivered his presentation on 'Qualification and Scope of Application of the Internal Law of International Organisations' to the twelth biennial conference in Bad Godesberg in 1971 (published in volume 12 of our conference proceedings).

From 1970 to 1993, Rudolf Bernhardt was Director at the Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law in Heidelberg, following a professorship at the University of Frankfurt (1962-1970). Bernhardt was also a judge at the European Court of Human Rights from 1981 to 1998, most recently serving as its President.

He founded the first encyclopaedia of international law in Englisch and shaped the international legal scholarship of his time with contributions on the Law of Treaties, International Organizations, International Courts and Human Rights.