The “Miracle of Karlsruhe”

Lecture on 12 March 2027

How the Federal Constitutional Court Became What It Is Today – and the Challenges It Will Face in the Future

When the Federal Constitutional Court began its work at the Prinz-Max-Palais in Karlsruhe on 7 September 1951, there was no indication that it would one day become one of the most powerful constitutional courts in the world. Few German institutions have shaped the social and political life of the Federal Republic of Germany so profoundly or achieved such international standing. How the young “twin court” would develop, which paths it would take and which tests it would have to withstand were questions to which no one at the time knew the answers. In retrospect, many factors contributed to what has come to be known as the “Miracle of Karlsruhe”.

Today, constitutional courts around the world are coming under increasing pressure. We are witnessing a resurgence of political authoritarianism that shows little regard for many of the political achievements of the post-war era. Among the driving forces are often right-wing populist movements and parties which, despite their differences, are united by hostility towards foreigners and supposed elites, as well as by intolerance of social groups labelled as “minorities”. In their worldview, there is no place for constitutional courts. Such courts are the natural adversaries of illiberalism. The strategies employed to weaken and disempower them are therefore highly varied. Against the backdrop of these developments, one question becomes particularly pressing: How resilient is the Federal Constitutional Court?