Dr Luke Dimitrios Spieker, a researcher at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (HU), has been awarded the prestigious 2026 Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Prize for his outstanding research in the fields of constitutional and European law. The most important award for researchers in the early stages of their careers was presented by the German Research Foundation (DFG) to ten researchers this year. They will all receive prize money of 200,000 euros to support their further research. The official award ceremony for the 2026 Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Prizes will take place on 11 June in Berlin.
Dr Luke Dimitrios Spieker has been a postdoctoral researcher at the DFG Research Training Group “DynamInt – Dynamics of Integration” at HU since May 2024 and conducts research on a wide range of issues in constitutional and European law. With this award, the DFG recognises that, following the comprehensive overhaul of the Polish judicial system by the PiS government, his dissertation examined whether the European catalogue of rights is sufficient to enforce European values, such as the independence of the judiciary, through European case law. “With a broad methodological approach, Spieker pursues a coherent concept of European law in this and other works,” the jury stated in its reasoning. It also highlighted that his expertise is already in demand in practice.
“An asset to HU and an important voice in international public discourse”
“The awarding of the Heinz Maier-Leibnitz Prize to Dr Luke Dimitrios Spieker is impressive proof of the outstanding quality of his research and its international visibility. With great analytical skill, he links fundamental questions of European law with highly topical societal challenges – from the protection of the rule of law to the rights of LGBTQ* people. His work exemplifies how excellent scholarship can contribute to strengthening European values. This makes him not only a great asset to Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, but also an important voice in international academic and public discourse,” says Prof. Dr Claudia Mareis, Executive Board Representative for Research at Humboldt University of Berlin.
Prof. Dr. Philipp Dann, Dean of the Faculty of Law at HU, adds: “The Faculty of Law is delighted for Dr. Luke Dimitrios Spieker and is doubly proud: Dr. Spieker is not only currently a postdoc at our Graduate School ‘DynamInt’, but also previously studied here. I am also very pleased about this outstanding award because his work underscores the significance and the fine art of constitutional thinking and argumentation in the European integration process. This significance cannot be overstated, and with Dr Spieker, a young representative of this important tradition is being honoured and the field encouraged.”
About the award winner
Luke Dimitrios Spieker studied law at the European Law School. In 2016, he passed his first state examination (Faculty Prize) and subsequently obtained a Maîtrise en droit from the Université Panthéon-Assas in Paris (Excellence Prize of the Franco-German University) and an LL.M. from King’s College London (David D. Cameron Memorial Prize). He subsequently worked as a doctoral candidate and research assistant at the Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law in Heidelberg. During his studies and doctoral research, he received funding from the German National Academic Foundation. In November 2023, he passed his second state examination.
Since May 2024, Luke Dimitrios Spieker has been a postdoctoral researcher in the DFG Research Training Group “DynamInt – Dynamics of Integration” at HU and, in this capacity, conducts research on a wide range of issues in constitutional and European law. He is also a Senior Research Fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law. His research to date has focused on the protection of European values, the protection of national constitutional identities, and the dialogue between European and national courts.