Alter im Recht

Abstract

Within the Max Planck Society numerous projects are now concerned with questioning »age« from variant perspectives. As a part of this »network on aging« a group of scholars in Frankfurt is examining relations between law and age in history. Even natural sciences have no definite answer to the question how and why men grow old. Thus disciplines in science and in historical and social research have realized that there is no aging in laboratory: Aging is a matter of social context – resulting in the question: »Why do we grow old?«. Legal historians can blend in well with their questions like: »What is it that makes us old?« We are inclined to believe that law and political framework have a great part in deciding who is old and who is young in society. Legal historians lookout for age limits, age groups and the legal design of timespans in life. Social aging is not linear but comes in steps, age limits and age-specific norms are dramatic turning points. The Frankfurt research group thus focuses on legal aging since the end of the 18th century up until today.