|
I. About this Guide |
II. Government and
Political Structure |
III. Getting Started |
| IV. Constitution |
V. Legislative Materials |
VI. Commentaries |
| VII. Caselaw |
This is a guide to University of Wisconsin campus and electronic resources for research in
German law.
Many sources listed here are in German, and anyone contemplating conducting German legal
research should bear in mind that in-depth analysis requires knowledge of the German language.
Annotations are given in English where deemed necessary. Please be careful to note the dates of
publication for each text, as some may be outdated.
II. Government and Political Structure
Germany is a federal, democratic republic comprised of sixteen states (Länder or Laender).
Power is distributed between the federal and state governments. (The Law Library does not
collect German state law.)
At the federal level, the German constitution divides power between the executive branch, the
legislative branch, and the judiciary.
Within the executive branch, the most powerful official is the Federal Chancellor, who acts as
head of state, controls the federal government, and appoints Federal Ministers. In addition to the
Chancellor, the German government elects a Federal President who acts in a mainly ceremonial
capacity.
The highest bodies in the legislative branch are the two chambers of parliament, the Bundestag
(Federal Assembly) and Bundesrat (Federal Council).
Judicial power in Germany is exercised by the federal courts, courts of the Länder, and the
Bundesverfassungsgericht (BverfG). The federal courts are courts of appeal, and are at the head
of five legal hierarchies: Bundesgerichtshof (Federal Court of Justice),
Bundesverwaltungsgericht (Federal Administrative Court), Bundesarbeitsgericht (Federal
Labour Court), Bundessozialgericht (Federal Social Court, and the Bundesfinanzhof (Federal
Tax Court). Länder, or State courts, are the trial courts and also preside over appeals in the
initial states. The BVerfG is divided into two panels, each consisting of eight judges. The first
panel considers cases concerning basic human rights, while the other senate resolves
constitutional disputes.
III. Getting Started
The resources listed below are treatises and guides that provide introductory information on the
German legal system and legal research in Germany. In addition to the materials mentioned
below, most of the sources mentioned in section II of the law library's Guide to Foreign and
Comparative Law summarize the German legal system as well as help launch your research.
Print:
The German legal system / Dr. Anke Freckmann and Dr. Thomas Wegerich; London: Sweet &
Maxwell, 1999.
Location: Law Library KK147 F74 1999
German legal system & laws / Nigel G. Foster, Satish Sule, foreword by Axel Boetticher; 3rd ed.
Oxford; New York: Oxford University Press, 2002.
Location: Law Library Reference Collections KK147 F67 2002
The German legal system & legal language / Howard D. Fisher; 2nd ed. London: Cavendish,
1999.
Location: Law Library KK147 F57 1999
An introduction to German law/ Gerhard Robbers; 4th ed. Baden-Baden: Nomos, 2006.
Location: Law Library KK149 R6313 2006
Introduction to German law / edited by Mathias Reimann and Joachim Zekoll; 2nd ed. The
Hague: Kluwer Law International, 2005.
Location: Law Library Reference Collection KK147 I58 2005
Print:
The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Germany / David P. Currie; Chicago: University of
Chicago Press, 1994.
Location: Law Library KK4450 C87 1994
This treatise provides the text of and extensive commentary on the German Basic Law
(Grundgesetz).
Grundgesetz für die Bundesrepublik Deutschland: mit Einigungsvertrag (ohne Anl.), Vertrag
über die abschliessende Regelung in bezug auf Deutschland, Bundesverfassungsgerichtsgesetz,
Konvention zum Schutze der Menschenrechte, Bundeswahlgesetz, Bundeswahlordnung,
Wahlprüfungsgesetz und Bundespräsidentenwahlgesetz, Parteiengesetz, Europawahlgesetz,
Europaabgeordnetengesetz, parlamentarische Geschäftsordnungen: Textausgabe mit
ausführlichen Verweisungen und einem Sachverzeichnis; München: C.H. Beck, 1993
Location: Law Library KK4444.3 A6 1993
Text of the constitution, and other selected laws.
Electronic:
The Constitution of the German Federation of August 11, Selected Articles
Location:http://web.jjay.cuny.edu/~jobrien/reference/ob13.html
Constitutions of the World Online
Location
http://library.law.wisc.edu/elecresources/databases/allwithann.php#C
Weimar Constitution
Location: http://www.zum.de/psm/weimar/weimar_vve.php
Germany is a civil law jurisdiction. As such, statutory law is the fundamental source of German
law. The most important statutes are Codes, which attempt to organize and integrate entire areas
of law in a coherent manner . For more information on Codes, go here:
Codes and Commercial Compilations
Print:
Bundesgesetzblatt, Teil I. Fundstellennachweis. A, Bundesrecht ohne völkerrechtliche
Vereinbarungen[electronic resource] / herausgegeben vom Bundesministerium der Justiz;Bonn:
Bundesanzeiger Verlages .
Location: Memorial Library KK27 F862
Federal law gazette of Germany. Contains laws, ordinances, decisions of the federal
constitutional court and ministerial notices. Memorial Library has from 2000 _ present.
Deutsche Gesetze: Sammlung des Zivil-, Straf- und Verfahrensrechts / begründet von Heinrich
Schönfelder; München: Beck, 1956-
Location: Law Library KK35.5 S34 1956
Civil and criminal statutes. Includes table of contents and subject index. Kept up-to-date with
supplements.
Fundstellennachweis. A, Bundesrecht ohne völkerrechtliche Vereinbarungen. Bonn:
Bundesanzeiger Verlagsges., 1992-
Location: Memorial Library Oversize Shelving KK27 F861
Supplement to Bundesgesetzblatt. Memorial Library has selected years from 1991- present.
Verfassungs- und Verwaltungsgesetze: Ergänzungsband; München: C.H. Beck, 2003.
Location: Law Library KK4420 A252
Constitutional and administrative statutes. Includes table of contents and subject index. Kept up-
to-date with supplements
Electronic
Collection of German statutes in English Translation
Location: http://www.iuscomp.org/gla/statutes/statutes.htm
From the German law archive, Oxford University Comparative Law Society.
English Transation _ Bundesgesetzblatt
Location: http://www.gesetze-im-internet.de/englisch_bgb/
Official gazette for legislation _ Bundesgesetzblatt online
Location: http://www.bundesanzeiger.de/old/banz/banzinha/aktuell.htm
Recht für Deutschland
Location: http://recht.makrolog.de/bgblplus/navigation.nsf/web/framestart
University of Texas Institute for Transnational Law: German Materials
http://www.utexas.edu/law/academics/centers/transnational/work_new/german/
Contains translations of statutes and other materials.
Print:
Gesetz-Weiser: Fundstellen-ABC. Begründet. von Karl Sommer, weitergeführt von Walter
Oehmann; Stuttgart: Forkel-Verlag, 1966-
Location: Law Library KK27.5 S66 1966
An index to federal and state laws. Law library subscription canceled as of no.75 (2001:June).
Note: Deutsche Gesetze and Verfassungs- und Verwaltungsgesetze,supra, both contain indexes.
The digest on German law in the Martindale Hubbell International Law Digest (Law Library
Compact Shelving, Stack 48) and the entry for Germany in Foreign Law: Current Sources of
Codes and Legislation in Jurisdictions Around the World , both provide references to statutory
citations.
3. Codes and Commercial Compilations
The most important codes are the civil code (Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch), the commercial code
(Handelsgesetzbuch), the code of civil procedure (Zivilprozessordnung), the criminal code
(Strafgesetzbuch), and the code of criminal procedure (Strafprozessordnung).
The texts of the various codes can be found in two of the above-mentioned sources:
Deutsche Gesetze and Verfassungs- und Verwaltungsgesetze.
There are numerous other commercial sources of the various codes, some of which are translated
into English:
Civil Code
Print:
Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch. English; The German Civil Code: (as amended to January 1, 1992);
and the Introductory Act to the Civil Code of August 15, 1896: (including amendments to
January 1, 1992; and the Act on Liability for Defective Products of December 15, 1989 /
translated with an introduction by Simon L. Goren. Littleton, Colo.: F.B. Rothman, 1994.
Location: Law Library KK985.51896 A5213 1994
Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch: mit Einführungsgesetz (Auszug), BGB-Informationspflichten-
Verordnung, Unterlassungsklagengesetz, Produkthaftungsgesetz, Erbbaurechtsverordnung,
Wohnungseigentumsgesetz, Hausratsverordnung, Lebenspartnerschaftsgesetz,
Gewaltschutzgesetz (Auszug) / Palandt; bearbeitet von Peter Bassenge ... [et al.]; München:
C.H. Beck, 2004.
Location: Law Library KK985.51896 A6 P34 2004
Electronic:
German Civil Code _ Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch, BGB (in English and German)
Location: http://www.iuscomp.org/gla/statutes/BGB.htm
Commercial Code
Print:
Commercial Laws of the World, Germany. Ormond Beach, Fla.: Foreign Tax Law Publisher,
Inc., 1995- (looseleaf).
Location: Law Library Ref K1001.4 F67 G47
The section on Germany in Book 24 of this multi-volume set contains English translations of
major German commercial laws. Not kept up to date after November 2006.
The German Commercial Code. Littleton, Colo.: F.B. Rothman, 1998.
Location: Law Library KK 2045.51897 A52 1998
In English.
German Commercial Code / Martin Peltzer, Jonathan J. Doyle, Marie-Thérèse Allen; Köln: O.
Schmidt, 1995.
Location: Law Library KK 2045.51897 A5213 1995
German-English text with an introduction in English.
German Commercial Code & Code of Civil Procedure: in English / translated by Charles E.
Stewart; Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.: Oceana Publications, 2001.
Location: Law Library KK2044.5 2001
Handelsgesetzbuch: einschliesslich Seehandelsrecht, Gesellschaftsrecht, Wertpapierrecht,
Gütertransportrecht, Wettbewerbsrecht: Textausgabe mit Verweisungen und Sachverzeichnis;
München: Beck, 1989
Location: Law Library KK2045.51897 A6 G44 1989
Electronic Sources:
German Commercial Code _ Handelsgesetzbuch (in German)
Location: http://bundesrecht.juris.de/bundesrecht/hgb/htmltree.html
Code of Civil Procedure
Print:
Civil procedure in Germany / by Harald Koch and Frank Diedrich; München: C.H. Beck; The
Hague; Boston: Kluwer Law International, 1998.
Location: Law Library KK3828 K63 1998
In English.
The Code of Civil Procedure Rules of the Federal Republic of Germany of January 30, 1877,
and the Introductory Act for the Code of Civil Procedure Rules of January 30, 1877, as of
January 1988 / Littleton, CO : F.B. Rothman, 1990.
Location: Law Library KK3815.5 1877 A52 1990
In English.
German Commercial Code & Code of Civil Procedure: in English / translated by Charles E.
Stewart; Dobbs Ferry, N.Y.: Oceana Publications, 2001.
Location: Law Library KK2044.5 2001
Zivilprozessordnung: mit Gerichtsverfassungsgesetz und anderen Nebengesetzen / begründet von
Adolf Baumbach; fortgeführt von Wolfgang Lauterbach; nunmehr verfasst von Jan Albers, Peter
Hartmann; München: C.H. Beck, 1992.
Location: Law Library KK3814.5 1992
Zivilprozessordnung: mit Gerichtsverfassungsgesetz und den Einführungsgesetzen / erläutert von
Heinz Thomas, Hans Putzo; München: C.H. Beck, 1991.
Location: Law Library KK 3815.51877 A52 1991
Electronic:
German Code of Civil Procedure _ Zivilprozessordnung
Location: http://bundesrecht.juris.de/bundesrecht/zpo/
Criminal Code
Print:
The German penal code: as amended as of December 19, 2001 / translated by Stephen Thaman;
with an introduction by Hans-Heinrich Jescheck; Buffalo, N.Y.: William S. Hein, 2002.
Location: Law Library KK7975.51871 A52 2002
Strafgesetzbuch: Kommentar / begründet von Adolf Schönke; fortgeführt von Horst Schröder;
München: C.H. Beck, 1991.
Location: Law Library KK 7975.51871 A7 S36 1991
Strafrecht: Allgemeiner Teil / Walter Gropp;Berlin; New York: Springer, 2001.
Location: Law Library KK8022 G76 2001
Strafrecht, allgemeiner Teil: die Straftat und ihr Aufbau / von Johannes Wessels; Heidelberg:
C.F. Müller, 1993.
Location: Law Library KK8022 W47 1993
Strafrecht, besonderer Teil. Heidelberg: C.F. Müller, 2000.
Location: Law Library KK8350 W47 2000
Strafrecht, besonderer Teil / von Johannes Wessels; Heidelberg: C.F. Müller, 1991-1992.
Location: Law Library KK8350 W47 1991
Electronic:
Criminal Code _ Strafgesetzbuch (StGB) (in English)
Location:
http://wings.buffalo.edu/law/bclc/germind.htm
http://www.iuscomp.org/gla/statutes/StGB.htm
Criminal Code _ Strafgesetzbuch (StGB) (in German)
Location:
http://bundesrecht.juris.de/bundesrecht/stgb/gesamt.pdf
http://dejure.org/gesetze/StGB
Criminal Procedure
Print:
Strafprozessordnung: Gerichtsverfassungsgesetz, Nebengesetze und ergänzende Bestimmungen /
erläutert von Theodor Kleinknecht und Karlheinz Meyer; fortgeführt von Lutz Meyer-Gossner;
München: C.H. Beck, 1991.
Location: Law Library KK 9405.51877 A6 M497 1991
Strafprozessrecht / von Claus Roxin; München: C.H. Beck, 1986.
Location: Law Library KK9418 R69 1991
Strafverfahrensrecht: ein Studienbuch / Claus Roxin;München: C.H. Beck, 1991.
Location: Law Library KK9417 R69 1991
Electronic:
Criminal Procedure Code _ Strafprozessordnung (StPO) (in English)
Location:
http://www.iuscomp.org/gla/statutes/StPO.htm
The Commentaries contain detailed analysis of German law, with references to case law and
legal literature.
Print:
Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch: mit Einführungsgesetz (Auszug), BGB-Informationspflichten-
Verordnung, Unterlassungsklagengesetz, Produkthaftungsgesetz, Erbbaurechtsverordnung,
Wohnungseigentumsgesetz, Hausratsverordnung, Lebenspartnerschaftsgesetz,
Gewaltschutzgesetz (Auszug) / Palandt; bearbeitet von Peter Bassenge ... [et al.]; München : C.H.
Beck, 2004.
Location: Law Library KK985.51896 A6 P34 2004
Commentary on the Civil Code.
Grundgesetz: Kommentar / herausgegeben von Michael Sachs; bearbeitet von Ulrich Battis ... [et
al.]; München: C.H. Beck, 1996.
Location: Law Library KK4444.3 A7 G76 1996
Commentary on the constitution. (Grundgesetz)
Grundgesetz: Kommentar / von Theodor Maunz [und] Günter Dürig; München, C.H. Beck,
1958-
Location: Law Library KK4444.3 A7 M28 1958
Commentary on the constitution. (Grundgesetz)
Kommentar zum Grundgesetz / Bruno Schmidt-Bleibtreu, Franz Klein; unter Mitarbeit von Hans
Bernhard Brockmeyer. Rev. Ed.: Luchterhand, 1990.
Location: Law Library KK4444.3 A7 S34 1990
Commentary on the constitution. (Grundgesetz)
Munchener Kommentar zum Burgerlichen Gesetzbuch. Munchen: C.H. Beck, 1984-
Location: Law Library KK985.51896 A6 M86 1984
Commentary on the civil code. Library has v. 3, pt. 2 v. 5, pt. 1 and v. 7
Strafgesetzbuch: Kommentar /begründet von Adolf Schönke; fortgeführt von Horst Schröder;
München: C.H. Beck, 1991.
Location: Law Library KK 7975.51871 A7 S36 1991
Commentary on the criminal code.
Strafgesetzbuch und Nebengesetze / erl.utert von Eduard Dreher ; fortgef.hrt von Herbert
Tr.ndle. Munchen : C.H. Beck, 1985.
Location: Law Library KK7975.51871 A6 D73 1985
Commentary on the Criminal Penal Code and similar laws.
Strafprozessordnung: Gerichtsverfassungsgesetz, Nebengesetze und ergänzende Bestimmungen /
erläutert von Theodor Kleinknecht und Karlheinz Meyer; fortgeführt von Lutz Meyer-Gossner;
München: C.H. Beck, 1991.
Location: Law Library KK 9405.51877 A6 M497 1991
Commentary on the Code of Criminal Procedure.
Zivilprozessordnung: mit Gerichtsverfassungsgesetz und anderen Nebengesetzen / begründet von
Adolf Baumbach; fortgeführt von Wolfgang Lauterbach; nunmehr verfasst von Jan Albers, Peter
Hartmann;München: C.H. Beck, 1992.
Location: Law Library KK3814.5 1992
Commentary on the Code of Civil Procedure.
Generally, because Germany is a civil law country , German case law is not considered to be a
source of law in the sense of binding precedent. But the legal reasoning and definitions applied
by the courts nevertheless carry weight and are an important indicator to both academics and
practitioners on how the legal interpretation of laws is changing or developing.
Case Reporters
Print:
Entscheidungen des Bundesgerichtshofes in Strafsachen; Berlin: C. Heymann
Location: Law Library KK44.4 1951
Federal Constitutional court decisions.
Entscheidungen des Bundesgerichtshofes in Zivilsachen; Köln: C. Heymann1.- Bd.; 1951-
Location: Law Library KK44.4 1951a
Federal Constitution court decisions.
Library has Bd. 1 (1951)-Bd. 175 (2008)
Entscheidungen des Bundesverfassungsgerichts;Tübingen: Mohr. 1952-
Location: Law Library KK5466.5 B86 1952
Federal Constitutional Court Decisions.
Library has Bd. 1 (1951)-Bd. 118 (2008)
Entscheidungen des Bundesverwaltungsgerichts; Berlin: C. Heymann. 1955 -
Location: Law Library KK5663.A48 B86 1955
Federal Administrative Court Decisions.Library has Bd. 1 (1955)-Bd. 130 (2008)
Praxis der freiwilligen Gerichtsbarkeit: FGPrax. München: Beck, 1995-
Location: Law Library KK3682 A48 O24
Contains higher regional court decisions. Continues Entscheidungen der Oberlandesgerichte in
Zivilsachen : einschliesslich der freiwilligen Gerichtsbarkeit, 1965-1994.
Periodicals that Report Cases
The following German legal periodicals can be found on level three of the law library together
with U.S. periodicals. They are shelved by title.
Juristenzeitung. 6.- Jahrg.; 5. Jan. 1951-
Bi-weekly publication. Library has 1998 - present.
Neue Juristische Wochenschrift (NJW); München: Biederstein 1947-
Weekly periodical.
Neue Zeitschrift für Verwaltungsrecht / in Zusammenarbeit mit der Neuen juristischen
Wochenschrift (NvwZ); München: C.H. Beck, 1982-
Monthly publication. Excerpts of administrative decisions.
Zeitschrift für Ausländisches Öffentliches Recht und Völkerrecht. Berlin: W. de Gruyter, 1929-
Quarterly publication.
Electronic:
Articles on recent developments in German, European and international jurisprudence
Location:
http://www.germanlawjournal.com/
Decisions of the Federal Court of Justice - Bundesgerichtshof (in German)
Location
:
http://www.bundesgerichtshof.de/entscheidungen/entscheidungen.php
Decisions of the upper German courts (in German)
Location:
http://www.jura.uni-sb.de/Entscheidungen/
German cases 1951 to present; German transcription
s
Location:
http://www.oefre.unibe.ch/law/dfr/index.html
Germany's Federal Constitutional Court - Report Abstracts in English
(1993-1998)
Location:
http://www.jura.uni-sb.de/Entscheidungen/abstracts/entsch-e.html
Judgments by Foreign Courts on German Law
Location:
http://www.iuscomp.org/gla/judgments/foreign/focourts.htm
Judgments of the Federal Constitutional Court _ Bundesverfassungsgericht
Location:
http://www.iuscomp.org/gla/judgments/bverfg/BVerfG.htm
Judgments of the Federal Court of Justice (Bundesgerichtshof) and of the former Imperial Court
(Reichsgericht)
Location:
http://www.iuscomp.org/gla/judgments/bgh/BGH.htm
Judgments of the Federal Labour Court (Bundesarbeitsgericht)
Location:
http://www.iuscomp.org/gla/judgments/bag/BAG.htm
Judgments of the Higher Regional Courts (Oberlandesgerichte) and lower courts
Location:
http://www.iuscomp.org/gla/judgments/olg/OLG.htm
Juristische Schulung (JUS)
Location:
http://rsw.beck.de/rsw/shop/default.asp?site=JuS
German legal practice magazine
Location:
http://www.kj-online.de/
Critical Justice
, a magazine that reviews the law through various essays, reports and
commentaries.
Legal Periodicals of the “Juristisches Seminar”
Location:
http://www.jura.uni-tuebingen.de/einrichtungen/js
Law Library at the University Tübingen
Neue Juristische Wochenschrift (NJW)
Location:
http://rsw.beck.de/rsw/shop/default.asp?site=njw
New Juridical Weekly, a German legal periodical
Neue Zeitschrift für Strafrecht (NStZ)
Location:
http://rsw.beck.de/rsw/shop/default.asp?site=NStZ
New Magazine for Criminal Law
Neue Zeitschrift für Verwaltungsrecht (NvwZ)
Location:
http://rsw.beck.de/rsw/shop/default.asp?site=NvwZ
New Magazine for Administrative Law
Search engine for cases of Germany's Federal Constitutional Court (in German)
Location:
http://www.oefre.unibe.ch/law/dfr/index.html
Search engine for decisions of Germany's Federal Constitutional Court (in German)
Location:
http://www.bundesverfassungsgericht.de/cgi-bin/link.pl?entscheidungen
Search engine for decisions of the Federal Administrative Court _ Bundesverwaltungsgericht (in
German)
Location: http://www.bverwg.de/enid/109b636c9b5c2146eec754c87c87c121371,0/9p.html
Search engine for decisions of the Federal Labor Court - Bundesarbeitsgericht (in German)
Location:
http://www.bundesarbeitsgericht.de/
Search engine for decisions of the Federal Social Court - Bundessozialgericht (in German)
Location:
http://www.bundessozialgericht.de/
Search engine for decisions of the Federal Tax Court - Bundesfinanzhof (in German)
Location:
http://www.bundesfinanzhof.de/www/index.html
University of Texas Institute for Transnational Law: German Materials
http://www.utexas.edu/law/academics/centers/transnational/work_new/german/
Contains translations of decisions and other materials.
Zeitschrift für Rechtssoziologie
Location:
http://www.luciusverlag.com/zeitschriften/ztschr_rechtssoziologie/zeitschrift_fuer_rechtsso
ziologie.htm
Journal of Sociology Law
Compiled by
Sunil Rao
University of Wisconsin-Madison Law Library
Revised: February 2009
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