Welcome to the University of Freiburg, Dr. Matthias Wachter, Junior Professor of Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure Law
Freiburg, 28.04.2025
On April 1, 2025, Dr. Matthias Wachter was appointed to the tenure-track professorship for criminal law and criminal procedure law. In this interview, he provides insights into his research on topics such as AI, euthanasia, and the legalization of abortion, and reveals for which soccer team he is taking a break from work.
What aspects of your research excite you?
In my research, I place great importance on the theoretical foundations of criminal law. This regularly gives me a different perspective on the subject matter. I find it fascinating to be able to think through problems from a new perspective and thus arrive at original solutions, even if the issue has been discussed for a long time.
In my dissertation, for example, I examined the question of why and under what conditions even attempted acts are punishable. This is a topic that has been discussed for over 200 years, and I have provided a new basis for it by referring to the doctrine of objective attribution.
What solutions do you find in your research for present and future challenges?
My research interests include medical malpractice law and criminal law issues relating to the use of artificial intelligence. Both areas deal with highly topical issues. This is evident, for example, in the current discussions on the re-regulation of euthanasia, the legalization of abortion, and the use of software for automated decision-making. Without consistent basic research in these areas, the challenges we are facing cannot be overcome.
What would you like to pass on to your students, and what do you yourself gain from teaching?
I often refer to law as a course of study that teaches resilience. In my view, it is crucial not to be discouraged by setbacks. In teaching, I often observe students getting lost in the details of the subject. However, a trained awareness of problems and the ability to argue independently are more important than the fourth or fifth opinion on a specific issue.
What topics are you currently most interested in outside of your research?
I have been interested in history and politics since high school. I am just as interested in the current global political situation as I am in classical German historiography. I would recommend the book Talar und Hakenkreuz (Gown and Swastika) by Berlin historian Michael Grüttner, who has studied the history of universities in the Third Reich in great depth. I am also a huge soccer fan: when my team, FC Bayern, is playing, research has to take a back seat.
What are you looking forward to the most in Freiburg?
The students in Freiburg, whom I have always found to be interested and open-minded during my semesters as a substitute teacher. The exchange with them and the prospect of being able to accompany them until their first state examination motivates me greatly.