The seminar examines the life, work and times of the Jewish jurist Jacob Robinson who was born in Lithuania in 1889 and died in New York in 1977. Special attention is given to his engagement for the protection of minority rights. The seminar’s approach is multidisciplinary, combining elements from history, law, and political science.

The seminar aims to study Robinson’s involvement in key international institutions and issues, for instance: the European Congress of Nationalities, Institute of Jewish Affairs, United Nations, Nuremberg and Eichmann trials, Refugee Convention, compensation agreement between West Germany and Israel.