Dr. Kirsten SCHMALENBACH
University Professor of International and European Law
Churfürststr. 1, staircase 6, 2nd floor, 5020 Salzburg
Tel.: +43-662-8044-3650 (Office)
E-Mail:
Consultation hours: only by appointment at the administration office
Prof. Dr. Kirsten Schmalenbach is a professor of international and European law at Paris Lodron University of Salzburg. She has been teaching and conducting research in Salzburg since 2010, focusing in particular on fundamental issues of international and European law.
Her primary areas of research include the law of international organizations, international liability and responsibility law, international human rights, the sources of international law, and the European Union’s external relations. Another focus of her work is issues related to international environmental and climate protection law.
Kirsten Schmalenbach studied law at the University of Cologne, where she also earned her doctorate and completed her habilitation. After serving as a visiting professor at the University of Bayreuth, she was a professor of international and European law at the University of Graz from 2003 to 2010. She has been at the University of Salzburg since 2010. Since October 1, 2026, she also serves as head of the Department of International Law, European Law, and Foundations of Law.
Her academic work combines basic research with current issues in the international legal order. Her work focuses in particular on the legal structures and responsibilities of international organizations, as well as the further development of international law in the face of global challenges.
During the 2024/25 academic year, Kirsten Schmalenbach held the post of Senior Research Fellow at the Hamburg Institute for Advanced Study (HIAS). As part of her HIAS fellowship, she conducted research on the project ‘Beyond anthropocentrism: Can the legal status of natural entities and ecosystems effectively mitigate global environmental degradation?’. The focus was on the question of what significance the legal recognition of natural elements and ecosystems might have for international, regional and national environmental protection.
Since 2020, she has led the research project “UN Tort Law for Peacekeeping Missions,” funded by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF), which examines the liability of the United Nations and the handling of claims for damages in connection with UN peacekeeping missions.
For her scholarly work, Kirsten Schmalenbach has been honored with, among other awards, the City of Salzburg Science Prize. In addition, she serves on national and international academic committees and professional organizations.
Main areas of research:
International law · European law · International organizations · International responsibility and liability · Human rights · Sources of international law · External relations of the European Union · Environmental and climate protection law
