Hans Kelsen

Hans Kelsen (; ; October 11, 1881 – April 19, 1973) was an Austrian jurist, legal philosopher and political philosopher. He was the author of the 1920 Austrian Constitution. Many of its amendments are still being used. The rise of totalitarianism in Austria, Kelsen left for Germany in 1930. He was forced out of his university job after the Nazi  took power in 1933 because of his Jewish ancestry. That year, he left for Geneva. In 1940, he moved to the United United States. In 1934, Roscoe Pound said Kelsen was "undoubtedly the leading jurist of the time". While in Vienna, Kelsen met Sigmund Freud and wrote on social psychology and sociology.

By the 1940s, Kelsen's reputation was already well known in the United States. He was known for his defense of democracy and for his Pure Theory of Law. Kelsen's was known for more than just legal theory. He was also known for his thoughts os political philosophy and social theory. His influence included the fields of philosophy, legal science, sociology, theory of democracy, and international relations.

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Category:1881 births
Category:1973 deaths
Category:Jurists
Category:Austrian philosophers