Commemorative volume for Tobias Brönneke published in the vunk series

“Values and Law” – both a source of tension and a symbiosis. A complex relationship that has been a central focus of Pforzheim law professor Tobias Brönneke’s academic work since his student days. It is therefore no surprise that the founder and long-time director of the vunk Institute chose this topic as the focus of his farewell lecture on January 21, 2026, at Pforzheim University. “Values and Law” is also the title of the commemorative volume presented to Tobias Brönneke on the occasion of this special event. In the 280-page book, numerous authors, academic colleagues, students, and friends of Tobias Brönneke pay tribute to the honoree’s remarkable scholarly achievements. 

“One of Tobias Brönneke’s particularly outstanding abilities is his capacity to connect people from different disciplines and to rally them around shared projects. This is reflected in ‘his’ vunk Institute—an interdisciplinary research institute from the very beginning that unites the university’s three faculties: Business & Law, Technology, and Design.” This is emphasized by the two editors of the commemorative volume, Prof. Dr. Christoph Fasel and Prof. Dr. Steffen Kroschwald, in their foreword. In keeping with this spirit, the commemorative volume brings together contributors from a wide variety of fields and backgrounds. The work thus also highlights the multifaceted nature of Tobias Brönneke’s areas of interest and activity. He is driven by questions of ethics in modern economies as well as by the relationship between humans and nature and the environment. His heart beats for consumer protection, consumer research and policy, their institutions, and the ways in which consumers can assert their rights. And finally, he is also concerned with the challenges of digitalization for people—especially those who are vulnerable. 

The commemorative volume, titled “Environmental and Consumer Protection in a Democratic Constitutional State,” spans this diverse body of work through its contributions. The commemorative volume for Tobias Brönneke has been published in the vunk Institute’s series “Research for the Society of the Future” as part of the Pforzheim University online and “open access” publications, as well as in print. The printed version can be obtained from co-editor Prof. Dr. Christoph Fasel: christoph.fasel(at)fasel(dot)de.