BERLIN -- Juergen Habermas, one of Germany's most influential philosophers and sociologists, died at the age of 96 in the town of Starnberg in the southern German state of Bavaria on Saturday, German media report.

Habermas was known for his work on philosophy, sociology, and public discourse. He gained prominence with The Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere and later published his seminal The Theory of Communicative Action.

He held the philosophy and sociology chair at the University of Frankfurt and led the Max Planck Institute in Starnberg.

Even in later life, Habermas continued to comment on political and social issues.