Roman Herzog Institut

The Roman Herzog Institut is a think tank operating under the motto "Gesellschaft denken" (thinking society), with its work focused on values, leadership and future questions. Founded in 2002 on the initiative of Prof. Randolf Rodenstock, then president of the Vereinigung der Bayerischen Wirtschaft (vbw), it aims to engage high-ranking experts from business, science, politics and society in interdisciplinary discourse. Its supporting body (Träger) is the Bavarian employers' associations, it is led by a six-member board, and it is advised on research direction by a scientific advisory council. It pursues its goals through publications, events and media formats, and through the Roman Herzog Research Prize it promotes the idea of the "Soziale Marktwirtschaft" as a research topic.

The Roman Herzog Institut was founded in 2002. The initiative came from Prof. Randolf Rodenstock, then president of the Vereinigung der Bayerischen Wirtschaft (vbw). His wish was to engage high-ranking experts from all areas of business, science, politics and society in an interdisciplinary discourse. The desire for a platform allowing an equally unfiltered and demanding discourse on socially relevant topics led to the idea of founding an institute that could meet this claim. With former Federal President Roman Herzog, the institute found the patron who could and wanted to give the project the right direction. In its working and organizational form the institute takes new paths: it largely dispenses with its own administrative apparatus, and the organization of the institute remains mainly virtual. The supporting body of the institute is the Bavarian employers' associations. The institute is led by a board of six members, and is advised by a scientific advisory council on the fundamental orientation of its research work.

Think tank under the motto "Gesellschaft denken", addressing a scientifically interested broad public.

• RHI-Studie "Was stärkt Demokratien?"

  An RHI study examining seven factors decisive for the resilience of democracies, comparing 181 countries.

• Publikation "Recht als Waffe. Wie juristische Kriegsführung liberale Demokratien gefährdet. Lehren aus dem Beispiel Taiwan"

  A publication presented on 14.07.2026 with China expert Prof. Dr. Dirk Schmidt.

1. 1Roman Herzog Institut – Werte | Führung | Zukunftromanherzoginstitut.de
2. 2Geschichte des Instituts - Roman Herzog Institutromanherzoginstitut.de
3. 3Über uns - Roman Herzog Institutromanherzoginstitut.de
4. 4Team - Roman Herzog Institutromanherzoginstitut.de