Prof. Dr. Astrid Lorenz

Prof. Dr. Astrid Lorenz

Professor

German and European Politics
Geisteswissenschaftliches Zentrum
Beethovenstraße 15, Room H3 0.06 und 4 1.08
04107 Leipzig

Phone: +49 341 97-35615
Fax: +49 341 97-35694

Prof. Dr. Astrid Lorenz

Prof. Dr. Astrid Lorenz

Dean

Faculty of Social Sciences and Philosophy
Geisteswissenschaftliches Zentrum
Beethovenstraße 15
04107 Leipzig

Abstract

Astrid Lorenz is Professor of German and European Politics, Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Philosophy and Speaker of the Deans. Her main research interests include democracy, participation, constitutional change, politics in multi-level systems (federations, European Union) and transformation processes. She graduated from the FU Berlin with a Diploma in Political Science (1997) and a Magistra Artium in Eastern European Studies (1998). From 1998 to 2001 she received a scholarship from the German Research Foundation (DFG) as a DFG Graduate School member. After working as a research assistant at Humboldt University Berlin, she was appointed as Juniorprofessor (assistant professor) there in 2006. In 2008 she acquired the venia legendi with her habilitation thesis "Constitutional Amendments in Established Democracies", which was awarded the Best Postdoc Study Prize by the German Association for Political Science in 2009. In 2011 she was appointed to the University of Leipzig.

Professional career

  • since 10/2022
    Speaker of the Deans at Leipzig University
  • since 05/2022
    Member of the Board of the Research Center for Transformation History at Leipzig University
  • since 10/2020
    Coordinator, Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence "The European Union and its Rural Periphery in East Central Europe - Perceptions, Practices and Potentials of EU Citizenship"
  • since 06/2020
    Member, Research Institute Social Cohesion (FGZ), institute branch Leipzig
  • since 10/2019
    Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences and Philosophy (reelected in 2022)
  • 04/2017 - 12/2019
    Managing Director, Institute for Political Science
  • since 10/2017
    Member of the Advisory Board for Science, Federal Foundation for the Study of the Communist Dictatorship in Eastern Germany
  • 10/2016 - 09/2019
    Vice Dean, Faculty of Social Sciences and Philosophy
  • since 05/2015
    Member of the Advisory Board, Saxon State Agency for Civic Education
  • 04/2012 - 12/2014
    Managing Director, Institute of Political Science
  • since 01/2012
    Chairwoman, Saxon Competence Center for State and Local Politics
  • 10/2010 - 04/2013
    Member of the Editorial board, journal Politische Vierteljahresschrift (German Political Science Quarterly), published by the Executive Board of the German Political Science Association
  • since 04/2010
    Professor of the German Political System and Politics in Europe, Leipzig University
  • 04/2006 - 03/2011
    Junior Professor of German Politics, Institute of Social Sciences at Humboldt University of Berlin
  • 02/2006
    Approval by the German Research Foundation (DFG) of funding for the position of research associate at the Faculty of Economics and Social Sciences at Potsdam University (transformed into project funding)
  • 10/2005 - 03/2006
    Contract Lecturer (Lehrbeauftragte) of Political Science at Potsdam University and Humboldt University of Berlin (Euromasters, Trans-Atlantic Masters)
  • 06/2004 - 09/2006
    Co-Spokeswoman of the Working Group Eastern European Societies in Comparative Perspective, German Political Science Association
  • 10/2002 - 09/2005
    Research Assistant to the Chair of German Politics at the Institute of Social Sciences at Humboldt University of Berlin and Contract lecturer (Lehrbeauftragte) at Free University of Berlin and Humboldt University
  • 04/2001 - 09/2002
    Contract Lecturer (Lehrbeauftragte) at the Free University of Berlin and Humboldt University Berlin
  • 04/1998 - 05/2001
    PhD scholarship of the German Research Foundation (DFG) as member of the Graduate School "The New Europe. National and International Dimensions of Institutional Change" at the Humboldt University Berlin
  • 10/1996 - 03/1997
    Student assistant in the research group Leadership groups and 'apparatuses' of the SED regime (Arnd Bauerkämper, Jürgen Danyel, Peter Hübner, Sabine Ross) at the Zentrum für Zeithistorische Forschung Potsdam e.V.

Education

  • 07/2008
    Venia legendi for political science with the habilitation thesis "Constitutional Amendments in Established Democracies. Motivation and Patterns of Negotiation"
  • 05/2001
    Doctorate (Dr. phil.) at the Humboldt University of Berlin, Institute of Social Sciences, with the dissertation "Forward into the Past? The Change of Political Institutions in the Republic of Belarus since 1991".
  • 04/1994 - 09/1998
    Eastern European Studies at the Free University of Berlin, completed with a master's degree (Magister Artium)
  • 10/1993 - 12/1997
    Study of political science at the Free University of Berlin, graduated with diploma

Panel Memberships

  • since 04/2020
    Member of Directors' board, Research Centre Global Dynamics (ReCentGlobe) at Leipzig University (as one representative of the Deans of the cooperating faculties), since 12/2023 represented by Vice Dean Prof. Dr. Patrick Donges
  • 10/2019 - 09/2022
    Vice Speaker of the Deans at Leipzig University
  • since 10/2019
    Member of the Senate of Leipzig University (as a Dean)
  • since 10/2013
    Member of the Faculty Council, Faculty of Social Sciences and Philosophy (elected in 2013, 2016, 2019, 2022)

Prof. Dr Astrid Lorenz is interested in the following research areas:

  • Democracy in Europe,
  • Constitutional politics and the rule of law,
  • Politics in multi-level systems (federations, European Union),
  • Transformation of political systems, especially Germany and East Central Europe,
  • Europeanization and de-Europeanization processes,
  • Interrelation between institutions and actors,
  • Emergence, stability and dynamics of political institutions.


She coordinates the Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence "The European Union and its Rural Periphery in East Central Europe" at Leipzig University. Furthermore, she is a member of the Research Institute Social Cohesion (FGZ) and an Affiliate Researcher at Leibniz Science Campus "Eastern Europe - Global Area".


Current research projects (funded by, function:

Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence (EU, coordinator/PI)

Rule of law in East Central Europe (BMBF, PI)

Equal living conditions in Germany (BMBF, PI)

Cohesion in regional structural change (BMBF, PI)

Elites Monitor (Federal Government Commissioner for East Germany, PI)

  • Constitutional politics in the German Länder: Patterns and Determinants
    Lorenz, Astrid
    Duration: 04/2013 – 03/2017
    Involved organisational units of Leipzig University: Politisches System Deutschlands und Politik in Europa
    show details
  • Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence - "The European Union and Its Rural Periphery in East Central Europe"
    Lorenz, Astrid
    Duration: 10/2020 – 04/2024
    Funded by: EU Europäische Union
    Involved organisational units of Leipzig University: Fakultät für Sozialwissenschaften und Philosophie; Leipzig Research Centre Global Dynamics (ReCentGlobe)
    show details
  • How the Grundgesetz Policy Aim of Providing Equal Living Conditions is Perceived and Politically Negotiated in German States and Municipalities – Politicians’ Responsiveness, Dialogue, and Changing Constitutional Arrangements
    Lorenz, Astrid
    Duration: 06/2020 – 05/2024
    Funded by: BMBF Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung
    Involved organisational units of Leipzig University: Fakultät für Sozialwissenschaften und Philosophie; Leipzig Research Centre Global Dynamics (ReCentGlobe)
    show details
  • Rule of law in East Central Europe
    Lorenz, Astrid
    Duration: 04/2021 – 03/2024
    Funded by: BMBF Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung
    Involved organisational units of Leipzig University: Fakultät für Sozialwissenschaften und Philosophie; Leipzig Research Centre Global Dynamics (ReCentGlobe)
    show details
  • Personelle Unterrepräsentation der Ostdeutschen in zentralen Führungspositionen, Modul 4: Förder- und Aktivierungsmaßnahmen
    Lorenz, Astrid
    Duration: 08/2022 – 07/2025
    Funded by: andere Bundesministerien
    Involved organisational units of Leipzig University: Fakultät für Sozialwissenschaften und Philosophie
    show details

more projects

more publications

  • Konferenz (gefördert durch die Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung)
    1989/90 – Aufbruch ohne Ende?
    Politisches System Deutschlands und Politik in Europa
    Event Organiser: Vogel, Lars; Lorenz, Astrid; Pates, Rebecca
    21/11/2019 – 22/11/2019
    show details
  • Vortragsreihe (gefördert durch die Europäische Union, Jean Monnet Chair)
    Krise und europäische Integration
    Fakultät für Sozialwissenschaften und Philosophie
    Event Organiser: Lorenz, Astrid
    12/10/2016 – 31/01/2020
    show details
  • Konferenz
    Tagung Politik, Region(en) und Kultur in der vergleichenden Politikwissenschaft
    Fakultät für Sozialwissenschaften und Philosophie
    Event Organiser: Pickel, Gert; Lorenz, Astrid
    09/10/2013 – 11/10/2013
    show details
  • Internationale Konferenz
    Rule of Law and the Judiciary in the EU Member States: Interdisciplinary and Comparative Perspectives
    Fakultät für Sozialwissenschaften und Philosophie; Öffentliches Recht, Europa- und Völkerrecht, Migrationsrecht und Rechtsvergleichung
    Event Organiser: Lorenz, Astrid; Wendel, Mattias
    28/01/2022
    show details
  • Internationale Konferenz
    The Rule of Law – Bridging or Sanctioning Differences?
    Fakultät für Sozialwissenschaften und Philosophie; Juristenfakultät
    Event Organiser: Lorenz, Astrid; Wendel, Mattias
    28/09/2023 – 29/09/2023
    show details

more events

Prof. Dr. Astrid Lorenz teaches on the following topics:

  • German political system
  • Political systems in comparitive perspective,
  • Democracy in Europe,
  • Politics and law in the European multi-level system,
  • Government, political actors and institutions,
  • Transformation processes,
  • Federal and state politics in Germany,
  • Europeanization and de-Europeanization,
  • Political participation.
  • Lecture "Democratic Governance. Actors and Interactions in the Federal Republic of Germany"

    each summer term

    The lecture gives an overview of approaches to study governance, actors (Parties, media and others), policy-making and policy implementation. Empirically, it focuses on Germany.

  • Lecture "Political Systems"

    each winter term

    The lecture gives an overview of approaches and models of comparative political science and political institutions. Empirically, it is focused on Europe.

  • "Rule of law in the European multi-level system"

    each winter term

  • "Interest Representation and Citizen participation in the EU multi-level system"

    each summer term

  • Seminars covering changing other topics

  • Jour fixe for BA, MA and Staatsexamen theses

    monthly, each 1st wednesday, starting 11 a.m.

  • Colloquium for PhD students and Postdocs

    monthly, each 3rd wednesday, starting 11 a.m.

Research fields

Federal Republic of Germany, East Central Europe, Politics, political science, Eastern Germany

Specializations

  • Bundesrepublik Deutschland
  • Innenpolitik
  • Ostdeutschland
  • Rechtspolitik
  • Verfassungspolitik
  • Demokratisierung
  • Bundesländer
  • Kommunalpolitik

Contact for media inquiries

Phone: +49 341 97-35615
Fax: +49 341 97-35694