German Civil Code

Author: Chen Weizuo
Translator's Note:
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-05-01
Features: The official name is "Civil Code" (Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch, abbreviated as BGB). Generally, German laws do not include the country name (the Grundgesetz of the Federal Republic of Germany is an exception). Strictly speaking, when used in conjunction with the word "Germany," the Civil Code should not be enclosed in quotation marks and written as "German Civil Code." The correct way to refer to it when combined with the country name is "Germany's Civil Code." However, since the German Empire (1871–1945) and the Federal Republic of Germany (established in 1949) have only had one Civil Code to date, it is also acceptable to call it the German Civil Code without quotation marks. The Civil Code with the official name "Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch" is the only one in German-speaking countries (the 1811 Austrian Civil Code is called Allgemeines Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch).