German Civil Code (redirected from Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch)

German Civil Code

 German Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch

Body of codified private law that went into effect in the German Empire in 1900. The code, since modified, developed out of a desire for a truly national law that would override the often conflicting customs and law codes of the various German territories. Divided into five parts, it covers personal rights and legal personality, the law of contracts and sales, property, domestic relations, and inheritance, or succession. It contains elements of Germanic tribal, feudal, and common law, as well as Roman law. It has significantly influenced the private law of other countries, particularly Japan, Switzerland, and Greece. See also Germanic law.